n- 


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i 

LIBRA.RY 

OF   THE 

Theo 

logical   Semi  nar 

y, 

PRINCETON,    N.  J.~ 

I  \c\re. 

bOoV^ 

Case, 

■ 
Slielf, 

Division 

Section 



Booh, 

N«, 

Jt^^f^^^^'' 


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V-/'V     .        *  -     i-  •■»">     <    r^.  't 


T  H  E  ' 


WIS    D    O    M 

OF 

ANGELS 

CONCERNING     THE 

DIVINE  PROVIDENCE. 

TRANSLATED  FROM  THE  LATIN 

OF    THE 

Hon.  EMANUEL  SWEDENBORG. 
Originally  publifhed  at  Amsterdam,  Anno  1^6^ 

t'".  ,    ':"'■      ;    ■,■■ '    ■■■,      ■'. '   "    ,  .,      '    '- ,  J"  ■■:— r--        ■'!■■'    aj 

PRINTED     AT     BOSTON, 

BY  ISAIAH  THOMAS  AND  EBENEZER  T.ANDREWS, 
Faust's  Statue,  No.  45,  Newbury  Street. 


?^«/y,  1796. 


ANGELIC  WISDOM 

CONCERNING    THE 

DIVINE  PROVIDENCE. 


.     / 


E.  vii 


It  may  not  be  foreign  to  our  prefent  Pur- 
pofe,  to  take  a  View  of  fuch  Opinions,  Senti- 
ments, and  Reafonings,  that  fo  the  Clearnefs, 
Truth,  Excellency  and  Expediency  of  our  Au- 
thor's Do£trine  in  the  following  wonderful 
Treatife  may  the  better  appear. 

And  firft,  in  Regard  to  Things  naturaL  If 
we  look  into  the  Writings  of  the  moft  cele- 
brated Philofophers  of  modern  Times,  a  very 
few  Names  excepted,  w^e  fhall  find  all  the  moll 
remarkable  Phenomena  of  Nature  refolved 
into  mere  viechanical  Operations,  as  if  Nature 
could  of  herfelf  operate  to  produce  Effedis. 
We  fhall  fee  chemical  Combinations,  and  the 
Compofitions  of  fubtle  Fluids,  appealed  to,  in 
Order  to  account  for  the  feveral  Biiths,  Pro- 
ductions, and  Changes  obfervable  in  the  ex- 
ternal World  and  its  various  Elements.  We 
fhall  fee  Divine  Mercies  and  Divine  Judg- 
ments, as  exhibited  in  temporal  Nature,remov- 
ed  far  out  of  fight,  being  confounded  with  the 
uncertain  and  indeterminate  Configurations  of 
Particles  of  Matter,  which  are  fuppofed  capable 
of  forming  fuch  Arrangements,  Conjundions, 
and  Dlsjundlions,  one  with  another,  as  to  pro- 
mote the  Blefl^mg  or  Mifery  of  Man  by  an 
Agency  feparate  from  that  of  the  great  Crea- 
tor. We  (hall  no  longer  be  led  to  adore 
that   invifible  Working  of  the  Omnipotent, 

who 


vni 


who  "  maketh  the  Storm  a  Calm^fo  that  the 
Waves  thereof  ai'e  Jim  ;  who  tunieth  Rivers 
into  a  TVilderncfs^  and  the  Water-Springs  into 
dry  Ground ;  a  fruitful  Land  into  Barre7niefs^ 

for  the  Wickednefs  of  them  that  dwell  therein l^ 
Pfolm  cvii.  29,  33,  34  ;  but  we  fhall  be  led 
to  tremble  under  the  dreadful  Apprehenfions 
of  an  inferior  Agent  not  fabje£l  to  the  Control 
of  a  merciful  and  all-wife  God.  In  fhort, 
\<[^  fliall  find  a  living  Power  of  Adlion  afcribed 
to  Things,  which  in  themfelves  are  dead^ 
whllft  the  real  living  Operator,  who  works 
unfeen  in  and  by  the  feveral  Subjects  of  the 
material  World,  is  altogether  forgotten,  and 
his  Divine  Operation  transferred  to  the  Things 
operated  upon,  whereby  fecond  Caufes  ufurp 
the  Place  of  the  Firf^  and  what  is  merely  /;/- 

Jlrumental  is  conceived  to  be  p7^incipaL  To 
inftance  only  in  the  Cafe  of  Vegetation,  We 
fhall  fee  this  fimple  and  manifeft  Effedt  of  the 
Divine  Agency  in  Nature  involved  in  the  ut- 
moft  Intricacy  and  Perplexity,  through  the 
Darknefs  and  Subtlety  of  vain  Reafoning  and 
Science  falfely  fo  called;  whilft  the  Changes  of 
Matter  and  corporeal  Forms  alone^  have  been 
regarded  as  fufficient  to  explain  the  wonderful 
Phenomenon,  and  whilft  philofophers  have 
forgotten  this  plain  eternal  Truth,  that  it  is 
God  who    "  maketh  the  Grafs  to  grow  for  the 

Cattle^ 


PREFACE, 


PERHAPS  there  never  was  a  Period  in 
any  Age  of  the  World,  which  required 
a  Vindication  and  Elucidation  of  the  Divine 
Providence  of  the  Lord,  more  than  the  pref- 
ent.  Not  that  the  Divine  Providence  is  at 
this  Day  generally  denied  in  Word^  for  none 
except  abfolute  Atheifts  do  this  ;  but  becaufe 
it  is  allowed  in  fo  partial  and  confined  a  Man- 
ner and  Meafure  of  Operation,  as  borders  upon 
a  Denial,  and  indeed  when  rightly  confidered 
is  a  Denial. 

For  if  we  allow  a  general  Providence,  and 
yet  deny  a  particular  one,  or  if  we  allow  a 
particular  one,  and  yet  deny  -xftngular  one, 
that  is,  one  extending  to  Things  and  Circum- 
ftances  r^oSk.  fingular  and  minute,  what  is  this 
but  denying  a  general  Providence  ? 

Every  reafonable  Man  confeffes  that  the  Dei- 
ty has  created  and  that  he  preferves  the  World 
in  general ;  but  does  not  this  neceffarily  imply 
that  he  has  created,  and  that  he  preferves  all 
Things  in  particular  and  mfingidar  ?  And 
ftiould  any  one  aflert  that  Creation  and  Prefer- 
yation  do  not  thus  extend  ta  Things  particular 

and 


VI  P       R      E      F      ji      C      E. 

Siud  Jtngular^  would  not  this  be  a  pofitive  De- 
nial of  Creation  and  Prefervation  in  generaly 
fince  Things  in  ^d-z/^n?/ cannot  poffibly  be  fup- 
pofed  to  be  or  exift,  but  in  and  by  Things ^^r- 
ticidar  2Mdifingular, 

In  like  Manner  the  Allowance  of  a  general 
Providence  ncceffarily  implies  the  Allowance 
of  a  particular  and  moft  fingular  one,  and  to 
deny  the  latter  is  manifeftly  to  deny  the  for- 
mer. It  is  like  aflerting  that  a  human  Body 
may  in  general  exift,  without  its  particular 
Mem.bers,  Organs,  Vifcera,  &c.  and  the  Shigu- 
lars  thereof ;  or  that  a  State  or  Kingdom  may 
in  general  exift,  without  the  feveral  particular 
Orders  and  Societies  of  Perfons  who  compofe 
it,  together  with  the  Individuals  of  each  Or- 
der and  Society. 

Now  that  a  particular  and  fmgular  Provi- 
dence is  at  this  Day  denied,  may  appear  plain 
to  every  confiderate  Perfon,  who  attends  to 
the  Opinions,  Sentiments,  and  Reafonings,  at 
prefent  circulating  in  the  World  from  the 
Books  of  the  Learned,  refpeding  the  Divine 
Operation^  which  is  the  fame  Thing  as  the  Di- 
vine Providence^  more  particularly  in  Refer- 
ence to  the  three  grand  Subjeds  in  this  World 
of  temporal  Nature,  on  which  it  is  exercifed 
or  employed,  viz.  Things  natural^  Things />o- 
litical^  and  Things  moral  ox  fpirituaL 

It 


P       R       E       F       A       C       Eh  1^ 

Cattle^  and  green  Herb  for  the  ufs  of  Man l"" 
Pfalm  civ.  14.  cxlvii.  8  ;  of  Coniequencc% 
that  all  Vegetation,  both  generally  and  partic- 
ularly proceeds  from  a  fpiritual  and  Divine 
Operation  in  Nature,  and  that  all  the  Lawr» 
thereof  are  thus  of  fpiritual  and  Divine  Ori- 
gin, and  that  material  Forms  are  merely  the 
Subjeds  of  fuch  Operation  and  of  fuch  Laws, 
which  have  no  Life,  and  can  efFedl  no  Change 
in  themfelves,  but  fo  far  as  they  are  v/rought 
upon  by  a  living  Principle  above  themfelves, 
that  is  to  fay,  ivithin  themfelves* 

The  Cafe  is  the  fame  in  Regard  to  political 
Things.  What  ferious  Mind  can  behold,  with- 
out a  Mixture  of  Indignation  and  Concern,  the 
Great  Author  of  Nature  forgotten,  and  ban^ 
ifhed  as  it  were  from  his  own  Kingdoms,  in 
the  Syftems  of  modern  Policy  ?  Who  dcth 
not  tremble  to  fee  Fortune^  or  human  Pru- 
dence, or  the  Sagacity  and  Addrefs  of  theMin- 
ifterof  the  Day,  more  regarded  and  depended 
upon  than  the  Wifdom  and  Power  of  Heaven, 
whilft  the  Counfels  and  Sentiments  of  weak 
and  erring  Statefmen  are  exalted  in  many  In- 
ftances  above  Divine  Intentions,  Purpofes  and 
Operations  ?  Yet  how  plain  is  it  to  perceive^ 
that  this  is  more  or  Icfs  the  Cafe  in  modern 
Politics,  wdierein  little  Account  comparatively 
is  made  of  that  Divine  overruling  Providence^ 
B  which 


E      F      A      C      E. 


which  "  changeth  the  Times  and  the  Seafons^ 
which  removeth  Kings ^  and  fetteth  up  Kings; 
which givetb  Wijliom  unto  thcWife^  and  KnowU 
edge  to  them  that  knowV  nderjianding;  which  in- 
creafeth  the  Nations ^anddejiroyeth  them ;  which 
enlargeth  the  Nations^  and  Jlraiteneth  them  a- 
gainf'Y)M\J'\\,^\.  Jobxii.  23.  Forletitbeafked, 
In  what  Politician's  Creed  at  this  Day  ihall  we 
find  it  written,  that  "  the  Kingdom  is  the  Lord^Sy 
and  He  is  the  Goverfior  among  the  Nations ;  that 
the  Battle  alfo  is  the  Lord^s  ;  and  that  he  doeth 
accord i72g  to  his  Willift  the  Army  of  Heaven  ^and 
among  the  Inhaoitanis  of  the  Earth  ;  and  that 
therefore  by  theBleffuig  oftheUpright  the  City  is 
exalted ;  hut  it  is  overthrown  by  the  Mouth  of 
the  Wicked  f  Pfalmxxii.28.    I  Sam.  xvii.  47. 
Dan.  iv.  ^iS-  P^ov.  xi.  11.  Or,  in  other  Words, 
In  what  Politician's  Creed  at  this  Day  fhall  we 
find  it  afferted,  and  maintained  as  a  ruling  and 
practical  Principle,  that  the  Profperity  of  Em- 
pires depends /c*/^/^  on  the  Bleffing  of  Heaven, 
and  that  of  Confequence  the  o?ily  fure  and  cer- 
tain Way  for  any  People  to  become  profperous, 
whether  generally  or  individually,  is  to  fecure 
fuch  Blefling,  by  fulfilling  faithfully  all   the 
heavenly  Laws  of  ftricl  Juftice  and  Judgment, 
Order  and  Uprightnefs  ?    Rather,  is  it  not  an 
efiablifhed  Article  of  modern  political  Faith, 
that  accumulated  Wealth,  extenfive  Dominion, 

numerous 


Ml 


tiumerous  and  powerful  Fleets  and  Armies,  a 
flourifliing  Commerce,  an  increafmg  Popula-^ 
tion,  Refinement  in  Tafte  and  Manners,  large 
and  magnificent  Cities,  Splendor  and  Parade  of 
public  Shows,  a  fuperior  Subtlety  and  Sagacity 
in  private  Councils  and  public  Negociations, 
are  the  great  conftituent  Principles  of  national 
Profperity  ?  That  a  People  in  fhort  may  be 
^reat  without  being  ^oo^,  happy  without  being 
virtuous^  fecure  without  the  Protection  of 
Heaven,  powerful  without  its  Power,  and  "JDift 
without  confulting  and  being  guided  by  the 
Fountain  of  Wifdom. 

Laftly,  in  Regard  to  moral  or  Jpiritual 
Things  ;  the  ferious  and  intelligent  Mind  can- 
not but  greatly  lament  to  difcern,  how  the 
Divine  Providence  and  Operation  is  herein  ei- 
ther totally  rejedted,  or  grofsly  mifunderftood, 
by  the  Learned  of  the  prefent  Day.  Thus 
fom.e  would  eftabliili  a  Morality  grounded  in 
mere  himan  Exertions^  without  any  Regard  to 
Divine  Aid,  making  Virtue  thus  the  Off- 
fpring  cf  Earth,  inftead  of  deducing  its 
pedigree  from  Heaveii,  whence  alone  it  is  to 
be  derived,  according  to  the  Tenor  of  thefe 
Words  of  the  eternal  Truth,  ''Without  ME  j/^ 
can  do  Nothing ^  John  xv.  5.  And  again,  "^ 
Man  can  receive  Nothing,  except  it  be  given  him 
from  Heaven^'    John  iii.  27.      Others  again 

allow 


Xil  PREFACE, 

allow  of  an  occafwnal  Aid  from  above,  in  Order 
to  aiTift  Man  on  great  and  extraordinary  Emer-r 
gencies,  but  deny  liim  the  Comfort  of  fuch  fu-r 
pernatm'al  Influence  on  common  Occafions,  and 
the  ordinary  Concerns  of  Life  ;  not  confider^ 
ing  that  the  "  Very  Hairs  of  the  Head  are  all 
numbered^''  Matt.  x.  30 ;  and  this  both  in  a 
natural  and  alfo  in  a  fpiritual  Senfe  ;  and  that 
of  Confequence  tYtrj  fmallejl  Circumflance  of 
Man's  Life,  whether  relating  to  Things  tempo- 
ral or  Things  eternal,  corporeal  or  mental,  are 
alike  under  the  Rule  and  Direftion  of  an  all- 
wife    Providence,    and    regulated    thereby, 
Whilft  fom^e,  by  an  Error  of  Underftanding 
ilill  more  deplorable  and  dangerous,  acknowl- 
edge indeed  a  Divine  Aid  continually  attendant 
upon  Man,and  afcribe  to  its  Operation  all  fpir- 
itual and  moral  Effeds  wrought  in  Man,  but 
then  they  allow  cf  no  Limitations  to  fuch  Ope- 
ration, as  grounded  in  Wifdom  and  Order ; 
they  make  the  Divine  Agency  irrefiftibk  and 
nncontrollahle^  afiigning  to  it  an  ahfoliite  Power 
independent  of  the  Free-will  of  Man,  that  is,  of 
Man's  Co-operation  ;  not  perceiving  how  the 
Deity  muft  needs  be  fubjefl:  to  his  own  Laws  ; 
and  that  his  Operation  therefore  muftof  Necef- 
fity  be  limited  by  that  Order  which   Himfelf 
hath  appointed  ;  and  that  it  is  an  eternal  Law 
pf  this  Order  that  Mar.  fhould  co-operp.te  with 


P       R       E       F       ^       C      r.  XIU 

his  Creator  in  the  Work  of  Regeneration  and 
Salvation,  otherwife  he  would  be  a  mere  ani- 
mal Machine,  and  not  a  Man;  and  that  of  Con- 
fequence,  for  the  Deity  to  force  Man's  Free- 
will, and  over-rule  the  Determinations  thereof 
by  an  arbitraryInfluence,wouldbeto  aftagainll 
his  own  Order,  that  is,  againft  Himfelf,  which 
is  a  Thing  impoffible.  Hence  fo  many  Advo- 
cates at  this  Day  for  the  (hocking  and  pernicious 
Doftrines  oiPredcJlination^  ElcBion^  irrcfiftihh 
Grace ^^c.  l^c,  and  hence  an  almoft  total  Dark- 
nefs  refpeding  the  true  Nature  and  Manner  of 
Divine  Agency  as  employed  in  the  Creation, 
Reftoration,  and  Purification  of  Man's  moral 
and  fpiritual  Mind,  and  as  exercifed  uniform- 
ly according  to  the  Determinations  of  Man's 
Free-will,  and  in  perfedl  agreement  therewith., 
If  the  above  Opinions,  Sentiments,  and  Rea- 
fonings  refpeding  the  Divine  Providence  and 
Operation,  in  Regard  to  Things  natural  apolitic- 
al^ and  moral^  be  well  attended  to,  and  vie\\^d 
in  a  clear  intellectual  Light,  fo  that  the  Fallacy 
thereof  may  be  dcteded,  and  their  mifchiev- 
ous  Tendencies  noted,  in  eftablilhing  a  falfc 
Philofophy^  a  dcjiru5iivc  Policy^  and  a  viiJJahcn 
and  ill-grounded  Morality^  the  ferious  Reader 
will  fee  abundant  Caufe  to  be  thankful,  tliat 
it  hath  pleafed  the  Lord,  of  his  Divine  Prov- 
idence, in  the  follov/ing  wonderful  Treatife, 

to 


XIV  P       JR.       jB       F      J       C      Ei 

to  make  a  Difcovery  to  Man  at  this  Day  of  the 
Laws  of  his  own  Operation,  to  the  Remo- 
val of  Error  in  a  Matter  of  fuch  infinite  Mo- 
ment, and  to  the  eftablifhing  the  human  Mind 
in  all  the  Comforts  and  Certainty  of  Truth. 
He  will  rejoice  alfo  to  fee  it  afTerted,  and  pro- 
ved by  fuch  a  Weight  of  fatisfa(51:ory  Evi- 
dence, that  Heaven  and  Earth  are  not  fo  far 
afunder  as  fome    Men  would  endeavour  to 
perfuade    themfelves,    but    that    this    vifible 
World  of  Nature,  notwithftanding  what  cer- 
tain Philofophers^  Politicians^    and   Moralijis 
may  think  to  the  contrary,  is  in  clofe  Con- 
nexion with  the   invifible  World  of  Spirit ; 
and  that  all  EfFeds  produced  in  the  former 
have  their  Origin  in  Caufes  which  exift  in  the 
latter,  and  are  ruled  and  regulated  thereby, 
being,  properly  fpeaking,  Nothing  but  out^ 
ward  Manifeftations  of  what  exifts  inwardly 
in  another  State,  Sphere,  and  Form  ;  fo  that  all 
Principles,  Beings,  and  Subjeds,  whether  fpir- 
itual  or  natural,  conftitute  together  a  Grand 
One,*  like  Soul  and  Body,  whereof  the  Dei- 
ty 

*  In  conceiving  of  this  Grand  One,  the  reader  is  earneftly  cau- 
tioned againft  falling  into  the  dangerous  Error  of  Spinoza  and  his 
Followers,  who,  feeing  that  all  Things  mull  needs  have  Connexion 
with  the  Deity,  as  the  fole  Fountain  of  all  Life,  aflerted  this  one- 
nefs  of  all  Things  in  the  Deity,  but  then  not  diftinguifhing  aright 
between  the  Creature  and  Creator,  between  the  Life  of  the  former 
as  a  received  Life,  and  thereby  capable  of  Perverfion,  and  the  Life 
of  the  latter  as  feif-originating,  and  thereby  altogether  pur^  from 

Evil 


P       R       E       :P      A       C      E.  XV 

ty  IS  the  central  and  only  Source  of  Life,  and 
thereby  the  great  Operator,  Regulator,  Pro- 
vider, and  Prefer ver,  of  and  in  the  Whole. 

And  if  he  be  a  Stranger  to  the  other  Wri- 
tings of  our  '  enlightened  Author,  having 
through  Prejudice  of  public  Opinion,  or  other 
external  Caufes,  been  led  to  judge  unfavour- 
ably concerning  them,  he  Vvdll  not  fail  to  cor- 
red:  fuch  Judgment,  and  to  feek  a  more  inti- 
mate Acquaintance  with  the  Doctrines  con- 
tained in  thofe  Writings,  whilft  he  reads  in  the 
following  Pages  fuch  a  Vindication  and  Eluci- 
dation of  the  Ways  of  the  Divine  Operation,  as 
perhaps  was  never  heretofore  difcovered  to 
Man ;  and  efpecially  whilft  he  obferves  that 
the  whole  is  grounded  in  the  infallible  Word 
of  God,  and  confirmed  by  Reafonings  of  a 
found  Philofophy,  as  well  as  by  Experience  of 
a  fupernatural  and  extraordinary  Kind  ;  the 
whole  fuggefting  to  the  ferious  Mind  the 
grandeft  and  moft  juft  Ideas  of  the  Divine  Na- 
ture, Attributes,  Intentions,  Purpofes,  and  Pro- 
vifions  in  Regard  to  Man,  and  calculated  in 
ail  Refpedts  to  lead  Man  to  a  deep  Veneration 

of 

Evil  of  Pen/erfion,  they  thus  made  the  blelTed  and  holy  Creator 
in  Faft  the  Author  of  EviL  Againft  this  dreadful  and  pernicious 
Dodtrine,  the  Difcoveries  and  Reafonings  contained  in  the  follow- 
ing Treatife,  and  in  that  on  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wifdojn, 
refpeding  the  feveral  Degrees  of  Life,  and  the  Origin  of  Evil,  or 
perverted  Life,  will  be  found  perhaps  to  be  the  moft  powerfiii  Aa- 
tidotes  ever  made  known  unto  Man. 


XVI  P      R      E      F      A       C      Et. 

of  the  great  Author  of  his  Being,  and  a  Fulfil 
ment  of  the  pure  Laws  of  his  Order  and  King- 
dom, to  which  all  Things  tend,  and  for  which 
they  were  created,  by  perfcdmg  HoUnefs  in  his 
chafte  Fear  and  Love* 

Neither,  if  he  be  one  of  a  fmcere  and  hum- 
ble Mind,  who  reads  not  in  the  Spirit  of  idle 
Curicfity,  or  of  critical  Examination,  or  of  nice 
and  fupercilious  Judgment,  but  to  attain  folid 
Wifdom,  for  the  right  PvCgulation  of  his  Life, 
will  he  be  offended  at  meeting  in  the  following 
Treatife  with  fome  Things,which  may  feem  to 
contradi6b  his  own  favourite  Opinions,  and  ap- 
pear at  firft  Sight  obfcure  and  perplexing,  inaf- 
much  as  his  Humility  and  Sincerity  will  teach 
him,  that  Nothing  doth  i?t  ge?ieral  fo  contra- 
dict Man's  natural  and  favourite  Opinions  as 
Truths  and  that  all  the  grandeft  and  pureft 
Truths  of  Heaven  muft  needs  feem  obfcure 
and  perplexing  to  the  natural  Man  at  firft 
View,  until  his  intellectual  Eye  becomes  ac- 
cuftomed  to  the  Light, and  can  thereby  behold 
it  with  Satisfaction.  He  will  not  therefore 
hajlily  reject  what  he  does  not  immediately  com- 
prehend, or  what  at  firft  Sight  dazzles  and  there- 
by darkens  his  Sight,  but  waiting  patiently  for 
the  Light  toftrengthenhis  intellectual  Faculties 
and  thereby  to  clear  itfelf,  and  from  the  Beauty 
ofwhat  he  ^^^i'Underftand^  being  led  to  think 

favourably 


PREFACE.  XVil 

favourably  of  what  at  pref^nt  he  does  r.ot^  and 
to  hope  that  he  may  underftand  it  at  a  future 
time,  and  upon  a  further  Reading  and  Confid- 
eration,  he  will  be  cautious  of  paffing  rafh 
Ccnfure,  and  will  rather  judge  not  at  all  than 
judge  unrighteous  Judgment. 

It  muft  be  confefled  there  are  feme  Partic- 
ulars in  the  following  Treatiie,  which  will  of 
Neceflity  appear  ftrange  at  firft  Perufal  to  the 
Reader  who  has  not  been  prepared  for  their 
Reception  by  a  previous  Acquaintance  with 
the  Author's  other  Writings,  and  which  he  is 
therefore  advifed  to  pals  over  for  the  prefent, 
until  he  has  Leifure  to  acquire  fuch  Acquaint- 
ance.     But  every  candid  and  intelligent  Per- 
fon  will  be  forced  to  acknowledge,  that  there 
are  other  Particulars  relative  to  the  myPierious 
Operation^f  the  Divine  Providence  elucidat- 
ed,which»€y  their  Plainnefs  mufl:  convince,  and 
by  their  Importance  muft  greatly  intereft  eve- 
ry human  Mind.     Such  are  the  Difcoveries 
refpe<2:ing  the  Origin^  the  Ptrviijfion^  and  alio 
the  RemiJfio7i^  or  Removal oiY^\ A  ;  the  Coniid- 
eration  of  which  Subjeds  hath  fo  long  involved 
the  learned  World  in  Perplexity  and  Darknefs.: 
And  had  the  Author  been  filent  on  all  other 
Points,  thefe  Difcoveries  alone  are  fufficient  to 
{lamp  an  eternal  Value  on  the  following  Trea- 

C  tii'e 


xviii  PREFACE. 

tlfe  in  the  Minds  of  the  well-difpofed,  by  lead^ 
ing  them  to  a  more  awful  Adoration  of  the  fe- 
cret  Wifdom  and  deep  Councils  of  the  merci« 
ful  God  in  Refped  to  his  infirm  and  fmful 
Creatures. 

The   Reader  who  is  acquainted  with  the 
other  various  and  inftrudive  Writings  of  our 
^nhghtened  Author,  and  who  has  profited  by 
them  through  a  faithful  Application  of  the 
bright  evangelical  Truths  contained  therein,  to 
the  Reformation  and  Purification  of  his  Life, 
will  be  delighted  to  fee  thofe  Truths  further 
extended  and  confirmed,  and  their  Harmony 
preferved  and  heightened,  in  the  following 
Treatife.     He  will  be  led  hereby  to  proftrate 
kimfelf  in  more  devout  Submiffion  and  Thank- 
fulnefs  before  the  God  of  unchangeable  Love 
and  Yv'^ifdom,  who  hath  been  pleafed  in  thefe 
latter  Days  to  vindicate  the  Ways  of  his  Deal- 
ings with  his  Children  in  all  Ages, and  amongft 
all  People,  Nations  and  Languages,  and  to  vifit 
them  with  fiich  a  clear  and  cheering  Light  of 
his  eternal  Truth  for  Comfort  and  Diredion. 
He  will  apply  this  Light  to  the  immediate 
Regulation  of  his  Life,  in  the  exterminating  all 
thofe  evil  Principles  and  falfe  Perfuafions,  for 
which  it  was  given,  that  fo  he  may  become  a 
renewed  Image  and  Likenefs  of  the  great  Crea* 

tor 


E,  xrx 


lot  and  Redeemer,  according  to  the  Order  of 
his  heavenly  Kingdom,  for  the  eternal  Inherit^ 
ance  of  which  he  and  every  Child  of  Adam 
is  predeftinated,  and  to  which,  therefore,  he 
may  moft  affuredly  attain,  if  it  be  not  his  own 
Fault.  He  will  be  careful  either  of  fufFoca- 
ting,  extinguiihing,  or  perverting  the  heav- 
enly Dodrine  with  which  he  has  been  fa- 
voured, whether  by  falfe  and  partial  Interpre- 
tation, or  by  impure  Mixture  with  pre-con- 
ceived  Opinions,  or,  v/hat  is  moft  to  be  dread- 
ed, by  refting  in  a  mere  Illumination  of  his 
Underftanding,  unattended  with  a  Conformity 
of  the  Will  and  Life,through  an  entire  Submif- 
fion  of  all  his  vital  Principles  to  the  Guidance 
^nd  Diredion  of  the  heavenly  Light 

And  whilft  he  is  thus  cautious  to  preferve  the 
Truth  pure  and  undefiled  in  his  own  Mind 
and  Life,  and  to  render  it  fruitful  in  all  Love 
and  Charity,  and  the  good  Works  and  ufeful 
Purpofes  thgnce  flowing,  he  will  be  greatly 
%ealous  to  impart  it,  and  make  it  known  unto 
his  Brethren  ;  but  then  his  Zeal  herein  will  be 
tempered  with  the  utmoft  Meeknefs,  Modera- 
tion and  Difcretion  ;  it  will  be  free  from  all 
Violence,  and  that  falfe  and  dangerous  Fire 
of  Enthufiafm  and  Fanaticifm,  whofe  infernal 
Ground  and   mifchievous  Tendencies  are  fo 

frequently 


B 


frequently  pointed  cut  in  the  Doftrine  which 
he  has  received  and  is  defirous  to  recommend. 
He  will  remember  his  Lord's  Injundions  to 
his  Difciples,  to  call  the  Net  on  *^  ibe  right  Side 
^ofthe  Shipl^  John  xxi.  6  ;  and  not  to  "  cqjl 
their  Pearls  before  Swine^'  Matt.  vii.  6  ;  and 
he  will  confider  himielf  as  ftridly  bound  to 
follow  thefe  Injunftions,  by  being  cautious  ox\ 
the  one  Hand,  how  he  fpeaks,  and  on  the  oth- 
er to  "jDhoin  he  fpeaks,  in  Commendation  of  the 
Truths  which  he  himfelf  has  imbibed.     Thus 
he  will  be  taught  to  go  forth   amongft  hi§ 
Brethren  in  a  Spirit  of  the  utmoll  Charity  and 
Friidence^  tolerating  their  imperfedl:  States  of 
Life,  not  endeavouring  to  force  but  to  draw^ 
cherifhing  the  heavenly  Principle  of  Good  in 
all,  and  having  more  Refpedat  all  Times  there- 
to, than  to  any  Form  or  Mode  oi  fpecidative 
Opinions  feparate  therefrom,  howfoever  excel- 
lent and  heavenly  in  itfelf  :  And  this  he  wall 
do  under  a  full  Perfuafion,  that  all  will  be 
judged  hereafter,  and  accepted  or  rejected,  not 
according  to  the  Light  they  have  received,  but 
according  to  their  Faithfuhiefs  and  Obedience 
thereto.     Thus  may  he  hope  to  catch  many 
with  the  evangelical  Net  of  the  Lord's  new 
Kingdom,  whilft  he  preffes  upon  them  a  Re- 
ception of  tlie  Truth  out  of  a  pyre  Regard  to 

their 


PREFACE.  XXI 

their  eternal  Good,  and  convinces  them  of  the 
Power  and  Profitablenefs  thereof,  by  the  EiFea 
it  has  had  on  his  own  Life  and  Converfation, 
in  making  him  a  real  Chriftian,  and  a  true 
Child  of  God. 

That  all  who  read  this,  and  the  other  excel- 
lent Writings  of  our  Author,  may  be  led  to  pro- 
fit by  them  in  their  own  Lives,  and  thereby 
to  recommend  them  to  others,  to  the  prepa- 
ring a  Way  for  the  Lord's  glorious  Appearing 
according  to  the  Predidtions  of  his  Prophets, 
and  helping  forward  the  Defcent  of  the  Holy 
City  the  New  Jerufalem^  that  fo  ''  the  Taberna- 
cle of  God  may  he  with  Men^  and  he  tnay  dwell 
with  them^  and  they  may  be  his  People^  and  he 
may  be  their  God^'  Rev.  xxi.  3,  is  the  fmcere 
Prayer  of  the  Editors. 

A  M  E  R 


CONTENTS. 


^ HAT  the  Divine  Providence  is  the  Govern- 
^     ment  of  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wif 
dom  of  the  Lord  -  -  i 

I.  That  the  Univerfe  with  all  and  every 
Thing  therein  was  created  out  of  the  Divine 
Love  by  the  Divine  Wifdom 

II.  That  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine 
Wifdom  proceed  as  One  from  the  Lord  4 

III.  That  this  One  is  in  a  certain  Image  in 
every  created  Thing  -  .  ^^ 

IV.  That  it  is  of  the  Divine  Providence, 
that  every  created  Thing  in  the  Whole  and  in 
Part  fliould  be  fuch  a  One,  and  if  it  is  not,  that 

it  fliould  be  made  fo  -  -  n 

V.  That  the  Good  of  Love  is  not  Good, 
except  fo  far  as  it  is  united  with  the  True  of 
Wifdom  ;  and  that  the  True  of  Wifdom  is  not 
True,  except  fo  far  as  it  is  united  to  the  Good 

of  Love  .  -  .  jQ 

VI.  That  the  Good  of  Love,  not  united  to 
the  true  of  Wifdom,  is  not  Good  in  itielf,  but 
that  it  is  apparent  Good  ;  and  that  the  True 
of  Wifdom,  not  united  to  the  Good  of  Love, 
is  not  True  in  itfelf,  but  that  it  is  apparent  . 
Truth  .  .  .  j^ 

Vll.    That 


XXIV 


C     O     N     T     E     N     T     S. 


Ka. 


VIL  That  the  Lord  doth  not  fufFer  any 
Thing  to  be  divided  ;  wherefore  it  mud  either 
be  in  Good,  and  at  the  fame  Time  in  Truth, 
or  in  Evil,  and  at  the  fame  Time  in  the 
Faire  -  -  ^  -  i6 

VIII.  That  that  which  is  in  Good  and  at 
the  fame  Time  in  Truth,  is  Something  ;  and 
that  that  which  is  in  Evil  and  at  the  fame  Time 

in  the  Falfe,  is  not  any  Thing  -  19 

IX.  That  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord 
caufeth  Evil  and  its  attendant  Falfe  to  ferve 
for  Equihbrium,  Relation,  and  Purification, 
and  thereby  for  the  Conjundlion  of  Good  and 
Truth  in  others  -  -  2X 

That  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord  hath  for 
its  End  a  Heaven  out  of  the  human  Race  2J 

I.  That  Heaven  is  Conjundion  with  the 
Lord  ...  28 

II.  That  Man  by  Creation  is  fuch,  that  he 
can  be  nearer  and  nearer  conjoined  to  the 
Lord  -  -  32 

III.  That  Man,  in  Proportion  as  he  is  more 
nearly  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  in  the  fame  Pro- 
portion becometh  wifer  -  34 

IV.  That  Man,  in  Proportion  as  he  is  more 
nearly  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  in  the  fame.  Pro- 
portion becom.eth  happier  -  37 

V.  That  Man,  in  Proportion  as  he  is  more 
nearly  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  in  the  fame 
Proportion  appeareth  to  himfelf  more  diftindly 
to  be  his  own,  and  perceiveth  more  evidently 
that  he  is  the  Lord's  .  .  43 

That 


CONTENTS. 


x.tv 


That  the  Dklne  FxovIde?ice  of  the  Lord^  in 
all  which  it  doeth^  hath  Refpefi  to  vjhat  is 
Infiiiiie  and  Eternal  -  -  4^ 

I.  That  what  is  Infinite  in  itfelf  and  Eternal 
in  itfelf,  is  the  fame  with  what  is  Divine  48 

IL  That  what  is  Infinite  and  Eternal  in 
Itfelf,  cannot  but  have  Refpe6t  to  what  is  Infi- 
nite from  itfelf  in  Finites  -  -  5^ 

III.  That  the  Divine  Providence,  in  all  that 
it  doeth,  hath  Refpedl  to  what  is  Infinite  and 
Eternal  from  itfelf,  efpecially  in  faving  the 
human  Race  .  .  .  ^^ 

IV.  That  an  Ima2:e  of  w^hat  is  Infinite  and 
Eternal  is  extant  in  the  Angelic  Heaven  60 

V.  That  to  refpeQ:  what  is  Infinite  and 
Eternal  in  forming  the  Angelic  Heaven,  that 
it  may  be  before  the  Lord  as  one  Man,  which 
is  his  Image,  is  the  hti?num  of  the  Divine 
Providence  -  -  -^64 

That  the  Laws  of  the  Divine  Providence  are 
what  are  unknown  to  Men,  -  7® 

That  it  is  a  Law  of  the  Divine  Providence^  that 
Man  fhould  a5l  from  Liberty  according  to 
Reafon  -  -  -       ,  71 

I.  That  Man  hath  Reafon  and  Free-will,  or 
Rationality  and  Liberty  ;  and  that  thefe  two 
Faculties  are  from  the  Lord  in  Man  73 

II.  That  whatfoever  a  Man  doeth  from  Lib- 
erty, whether  it  be  of  Reafon  or  not  of  Reafon, 
provided  it  be  according  to  his  Reafon,  appear- 

eth  to  him  as  his  own  -  -  74 

D  III.    That 


XXVI 


CONTENTS. 


No, 


III.  That  whatfoever  Man  docth  from  Lib- 
erty  according  to  his  Thought,  is  appropriated 

to  him  as  his  own,  and  remaineth         •-  7S 

IV.  That  Man  by  thefe  two  Faculties  is  re- 
formed and  regenerated  of  the  Lord  ;  and  that 
without  them  he  cannot  be  reformed  and  re- 
generated -  -  -  Sz 

V.  That  Man,  by  Means  of  thefe  two  Fac- 
ulties, can  be  fo  far  reformed  and  regenerated, 
as  he  can  by  them  be  led  to  acknowledge,  that 
all  the  Truth,  and  ail  the  Good,  which  he 
thinketh  and  doeth,  is  from  the  Lord,  and  not 
from  himfelf  -  -  -  87 

VI.  That  the  Conjunclion  of  the  Lord  with 
Man,  and  the  reciprocal  Conjundion  of  Man 
with  the  Lord,  is  effeded  by  thefe  two  Facul- 
ties -  -  -  90 

VIL  That  the  Lord  preferveth  thefe  two 
Faculties  in  Man  inviolable,  and  as  facred  in 
every  ProgrefTion  of  his  Divine  Providence  96 

VIII.  That  therefore  it  is  of  the  Divine  Prov- 
idence,  that  Man  ihould  ad  from  Liberty  ac- 
cording to  Reafon  -  -  .  97 

That  it  is  a  Laio  of  the  Divine  Providence^-  that 
Man.,  as  from  himfelf  fhould  remove  Evils  as 
Sins  in  the  external  Man^  and  that  thus^  a?id 
710  otherivife^  the  Lord  can  remove  Evils  in  the 
internal  Man^  and  then  at  the  fame  Time  in 
the  External  -  -  100 

I.  That  every  Man  hath  an  External  and  an 
Internal  Principle  of  Thought  -  103 

11.    That 


CONTENTS.         :cxvli 

No. 

II.  That  the  External  Principle  of  the 
Thought  of  Man  'is  in  itfelf  fuch  as  his 
Internal  is  -  -  -  io6 

III.  That  the  Internal  cannot  be  purified 
from  the  Concupifcences  of  Evil,  fo  long  as 
Evils  in  the  external  Man  are  not  removed, 
becaufe  they  obRrud  -  -  in 

IV.  That  evils  in  the  external  Man  cannot 
be  removed  by  the  Lord  but  by  Means  of 
Man  -  -  114 

V.  That  therefore  Man  ought  to  remove 
Evils  from  the  external  Man  as  from  himfelf       i  j8 

VI.  That  the  Lord  then  purifieth  Man  from 
Concupifcences  in  the  internal  Man,  and  from 
Evils  themfelves  in  the  external  -  119 

VII.  That  it  is  the  Continuum  [continual  En- 
deavour] of  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord, 
to  join  Man  to  himfelf,  and  himfelf  to  Man, 
that  he  may  be  able  to  give  him  the  Felicities 
of  eternal  Life  ;  which  cannot  be  done,  but  in 
Proportion  as  Evils  with  their  Concupifcences 

are  removed  -  -  -  123 

That  it  is  a  Law  of  the  Divine  Providence^  that 
Man  be  not  forced  by  external  Means  to  think 
and  will^  andfo  to  believe  and  love  the  Thirigs 
which  are  of  Religion  ;  but  that  Man  lead, 
and  fometimes  force  himfelf  to  it  -  ,129 

I.  That  no  one  is  reformed  by  Miracles  and 
Signs,  becaufe  they  force  -  130 

IL  That  no  one  is  reformed  by  Vifions,  and 
by  converfmg  with  the  Dead,  becaufe  they 
force  .  -  134 

III.   That 


xxviii         CONTENTS.. 

No* 

III.  That  no  one  is  reformed  by  Threats 
and  PuniflimentSj  becaufe  they  force  136 

IV.  That  no  one  is  reformed  in  States  of 
Non-Rationality,  and  of  Non-Liberty  138 

V.  That  it  is  not  contrary  to  Rationality  and 
Liberty  for  Man  to  force  himfelf  -  145 

Vr.  That  the  external  Man  is  to  be  reform- 
ed by  the  internal,  and  not  vice  verfa  15Q 

That  it  is  a  Law  of  the  Divine  Providence^  that 
Man  be  led  and  taught  of  the  Lord  out  of 
Heaven  by  the  Word,  and  by  Do^rine  and 
Preachings  derived  from  the  Wordy  and  this 
in  all  Appearance  as  from  himfelf         -  154 

L  That  Man  is  led  and  taught  of  the  Lord 
only  -  -  -  155 

II.  That  Man  is  led  and  taught  of  the  Lord 
alone,  through  the  Angelic  Heaven,  and  out 

of  it  -  -  -  163 

III.  That  Man  is  led  of  the  Lord  by  Influx, 
and  taught  by  Illumination  -  165 

IV.  1  hat  Man  is  taught  of  the  Lord  by  the 
Word,  and  by  Dodrine  and  Preachings  derived 
from  the  Word,  and  thus  immediately  from 
him  alone  -  -  r  171 

V.  That  Man  in  Externals  is  led  and  taught 

of  the  Lord  to  all  Appearance  as  of  himfelf      1 74 

That  it  is  a  Law  of  the  Divine  Provideyice^  that 
Man  fhould  not  perceive  and  feel  ayiy  Thing  of 
the  Operation  of  the  Divine  Providence ^  hut  yet 
Jhould  know  and  acknowledge  it  *  1 T^ 

I.   That 


CONTENTS.  xntL 

I.  That  if  Man  perceived  and  felt  the  Ope- 
ration of  the  Divine  Providence,  he  would  not 
ad  from  Liberty  according  to  Reafon,  neither 
would  any  Thing  appear  to  him  as  from  him- 
felf,  or  as  his  own.  The  fame  would  be  the  Cafe 

if  Man  foreknew  Events  -  176 

II.  That  if  Man  manifeflly  faw  the  Divine 
providence,  he  would  interfere  with  the  Order 
and  Tenor  of  its  Progrellion,  and  would  per- 
vert and  deftroy  it  -  -  i8o 

III.  That  if  Man  manifeflly  faw  the  Divine 
Providence,  he  would  either  deny  God  or 
make  himfelf  a  God  -  -  iSz 

IV.  That  it  is  given  Man  to  fee  the  Divine 
Providence  on  the  Back  and  not  in  the  Face, 
alfo  in  a  fpiritual  State,  and  not  in  his  natural 
State  -  -  -  187 

That  felf-derlved  Prudence  is  Nothings  and  only 
appears  as  if  it  was^  and  alfo  ought  fo  to  ap- 
pear ;  hut  that  the  Divine  Providence  from 
Things  the  moft  particular  is  univerfal  191 

I.  That  all  the  Thoughts  of  a  Man  are  from 
the  Affections  of  his  Life's  Love,  and  that  there 
do  not,  neither  can  exift,  any  Thoughts  at  all,    ' 
without  them  -  -  193 

IL  That  the  AfFeaions  of  a  Man's  Life's 
Love  are  known  to  the  Lord  only  -  197 

III.  That  the  Affections  of  the  Life's  Love 
of  Man  are  led  of  the  Lord  through  his  Di- 
vine Providence,  and  then  at  the  fame  Time 
his  Thoughts,  from  which  human  Prudence  is 
derived  -  -  -  200 

IV.    That 


XKx  CONTENTS. 


No. 


IV.  That  the  Lord  by  his  Divine  Providence 
compofcth  the  AfFedions  into  one  Form,  which 

is  Human  .  -  -  201 

V.  That  Heaven  and  Hell  are  in  fuch  a 
Form  -  -  -  204 

VI.  That  they  who  have  acknowledged  Na- 
ture alone,  and  human  Prudence  alone,  confti- 
lute  Hell,  and  they  who  have  acknowledged 
God  and  his  Divine  Providence,  conflitute 
Heaven  -  -  -  205 

VII.  That  all  thefe  Things  cannot  be  done 
unlefs  it  appears  to  Man  that  he  thinketh  and 
difpofeth  from  himfelf  -  >•  210 

T/jat  the  Divine  Providence  hath  Refped  to 
Things  eternal^  and  no  otherwife  to  temporary 
Things^  than  fo  far  as  they  accord  with  Things 
eternal  '  -  -  214 

].  That  temporary  Things  relate  to  Digni- 
ties and  Riches,  therefore  to  Honours  and 
Emoluments  in  this  World  -  215 

II.  That  Things  eternal  relate  to  fpiritual 
Honours  and  Riches,  which  are  of  Love  and 
Wifdom  in  Heaven  -  -  216 

III.  That  Things  temporary  and  eternal  are 
feparated  by  Man,  but  that  they  are  joined  by 

the  Lord  -  -  -  218 

IV.  That  the  Conjundion  of  Things  tem- 
porary and  eternal  in  Man  is  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence of  the  Lord  r.  -  220 

That 


22 


CONT      ENTS.  xxt'i 

No. 
That   Man  is    7iot  let  more  interiorly  into  the 
Truths  of  Faith  and  the  Goods  of  Charity^  than 
fo  far  as  he  can  he  kept  in  them  to  the  End  cf 
Life  -  -  -  221 

I.  That  Man  may  be  let  into  the  Wifdom 
of  fpiritual  Things,  and  alfo  into  the  Love  of 
them,  and  yet  not  be  reformed 

II.  That  if  Man  afterwards  recedes  from 
them,  and  runs  counter  to  them,  he  profaneth 
what  is  holy  .  .  -  226 

III.  That  there  are  feveral  Kinds  of  Profa- 
nations of  what  is  holy,  and  that  this  Kind  is 

the  word  of  all  -  -  -  229 

IV.  That  therefore  the  Lord  doth  not  let 
Man  more  interiorly  into  the  Truths  of  Wif- 
dom, and  at  the  fame  Time  into  the  Goods  of 
Love,  than  fo  far  as  he  can  be  kept  in  them  to 
the  End  of  Life  -  -  2 


32 


That  the  Laws  of  Permijion  alfo  are  Laws  cf 
the  Divine  Providence  -  234 

I.  Why  it  was  permitted,  that  Adam  the 
wifeft  of  Men,  and  his  Wife  fufFered  themfelves 
to  be  feduced  by  the  Serpent,  without  God's 
preventing  it  by  his  Divine  Providence  241 

II.  That  their  firft-born  Son,  Cain,  flew  his 
Brother  Abel,  and  God  did  not  prevent  it  by 
fpeaking  to  him,  but  only  curfed  him  after  the 
Aa  -  -  -  242 

III.  That  the  Ifraelitifh  Nation '  worfiiipped 
a  golden  Calf  in  the  Wildernefs,  and  acknowl- 
edged it  as  the  God  which  brought  them  out 
of  the  Land  of  Egypt  j  when  nevcrthelefs  Je- 
hovah 


xxxu 


CONTENTS. 


^0, 


hovah  faw  this  from  Mount  Sinai  not  far  ofFj 
and  did  not  prevent  it  -  -  243 

IV.  That  David  numbered  the  People,  and 
therefore  a  Pellilence  was  fent  among  them, 
whereby  fo  many  Thoufands  of  Men  perifhed, 
and  that  God  did  not  fend  the  Prophet  Gad 

to  him  before  the  Ad,  but  after  it,  to  denounce     . 
Puniihment  ...  24^ 

V.  That  Solomon  was  permitted  to  eftablifli 
idolatrous  Woriliip  -  -  245 

VI.  That  it  Vv^as  permitted  many  Kings  after 
Solomon  to  profane  the  Temple  and  holy 
Things  of  the  Church  -  -  246 

VII.  That  that  Nation  was  permitted  to 
crucify  the  Lord  -  -  247 

T/jat  ever  J  V/or/hipper  of  hlmfelf  ajid  of  Nafm'e 
confiriiieth  b'lmfef  aga'ui/i  the  Divine  Frovl- 
daice^ 

I.  When  he  feeth  fo  many  impious  Perfons 
In  the  World,  T^^Xidi  fo  many  Impieties  commit- 
ted  by  them,  and  at  the  fame  Time  that  fomc 
glory  in  them,  and  yet  that  they  are  not  follow- 
ed by  any  Punifhment  from  God  -  249- 

II.  When  he  feeth  the  Impious  promoted 
to  Honours,  and  made  Nobles  and  Primates  ; 
moreover  that  they  abound  in  Wealth,  and 
live  fumptuoufly  and  magnificently,  whilfl  the 
Worfhippers  of  God  are  in  Contempt  and 
Poverty  -  .  -  250 

III.  When  he  thinketh  how  Wars  are  per- 
mitted, and  thereby  fo  many  Men  flaughtered, 
and  their  Poffeffions  plundered  -  25  r 

IV.   When 


C     O     N     T     3 V    N     T     S.         xxxiii 

IV.  When  he  thinketh  that  Vidories  de- 
clare on  the  Side  of  Prudence,  and  fometimes 
not  on  the  Side  of  Juilice,  &c.  -  252 

Tbat  the  merely  natural  Man  conjlrmeth  hlmfcJf 
againjl  the  Divine  Providence^ 

I.  When  he  confiders  the  Reli<^ions  of  va- 
nous  Nations,  that  there  are  fome  who  are  to- 
tally  ignorant  of  a  God,  fome  who,  worflilp  the 
Sun,  the  Moon,  Idols,  &c.  »  -  254 

II.  When  he  confiders  the  Mahometan  Re- 
ligion, how  it  is  received  by  fo  many  Empires 
and  Kingdoms  -  -  2 cr 

HI.  When  he  fees  that  the  Chriflian  Relir- 
ion  IS  received  only  in  the  fmalleft  ()uarter  of 
the  habitable  Globe,  called  Europe,  and  there 
divided  -  -  »  n^s 

IVi  Becaufe  in  many  Kingdoms,  where  the 
Chriflian  Religion  is  received,  there  are  fome 
who  claim  to  themfelves  Divine  Power,  and 
who  invoke  dead  Men  -  -  257 

V.  Becaufe  among  thofe  w^ho  profefs  the 
Chriflian  Religion,  there  are  fome  who  place 
Salvation  in  certain  Words  which  they  are  to 
think  and  fpeak,  and  not  in  any  Good  they 
are  to  do 

VI.  Becaufe  there  have  been,  and  flill  are 
fo  many  Herefies  in  the  Chriflian  World,  Tuch 
as  thofe  of  the  Quakers,  Moravians,  Anabap- 
tifls,  and  others  -  -  .  2co 

VIL  Becaufe  Judaifm  flill  continues  26p 

E  That 


25S 


xxxlv  CONTENT     S. 


Iso^ 


That  a  Doubt  may  be  inferred  agalnjl  the  Divine 
Providence  -  -  -  -       261 

I.  By  Reafon  that  the  whole  Chrifliaii 
World  worfhippeth  God  under  three  Perfons, 
which  IS  three  Gods ;  and  that  heretofore  they 
did  not  know  that  God  is  One  in  Perfon  and 

in  Effence,  and  that  that  God  is  the  Lord  262 

II.  Becaufe  heretofore  it  was  not  known, 
that  ia  every  Particular  of  the  Word  there  is 
a  fpiritual  Senfe,  and  that  its  Holinefs  confifts 
therein  .  -  -  .  264 

III.  Becaufe  heretofore  it  was  not  known 
that  the  very  EiTence  of  the  Chriftian  Religion 
confiils  in  fhunning  Evils  as  Sins  -  265 

,  IV.  Becaufe  it  was  not  known  heretofore, 
that  Man  liveth  after  Death  ;  and  this  was  not 
difcovered  till  now  -  «  274- 

That  Evils  are  permitted  for  a  certain  Endy 
which  End  is  Salvation  -  -  275 

I.  That  every  Man  is  in  Evil,  and  that  he 
is  to  be  withdraw^n  from  Evil  that  he  may  be 
reformed  ...  277 

II.  That  Evils  cannot  be  removed  except 
they  appear  -  -      *        .  278 

III.  That  in  Proportion  as  Evils  are  remov- 
ed, in  the  fame  Proportion  they  are  remitted      279 

IV.  That  thus  the  permiflion  of  Evil  is  for 

a  certain  End,  which  End  is  Salvation  281 

That  the  Divine  Providence  is  alike  with  the 
Wicked  as  ivith  the  Good  -  -  285 

L   That 


CONTENTS. 


XXXV 

No. 


I.  That  the  Divine  Providence,  not  only 
vidth  the  Good,  but  alfo  with  the  Wicked,  is 
univerfal  in  Things  the  moft  particular,  and 
that  flill  it  is  not  in  their  Evils  -  287 

II.  That  the  Wicked  continually  lead  them- 
felves  into  Evils,  but  that  the  Lord  continually 
leadeth  them  out  of  Evils  -  -  ^g^ 

III.  That  tlie  Wicked  cannot  be  entirely  led 
out  of  Evils  by  the  Lord,  and  led  into  Goods, 
fo  long  as  they  think  felf-derived  Intelligence  is 
All,  and  the  Divine  Providence  Nothing  297 

IV.  That  the  Lord  governs  Hell  by  Oppo- 
fltes,  and  that  the  Wicked  who  are  in  the 
World  he  governs  in  Hell  as  to  Interiors,  but 

jiot  as  to  Exteriors  ^  -  299 

That  the  Dhine  Providence  iiehher  appropriates 
Evil  nor  Good  io  any  one^  hut  that  felf-deri- 
ved Prudence  appropriates  both  -  308 

I.  What  felf-derived  Prudence  is,  and  what 
ahat  Prudence  which  is  not  felf-derived  310 

II.  That  Man  from  felf-derived  Prudence 
perfuades  himfelf,  and  confirms  himfelf  in  the 
Idea,  that  every  Good  and  Truth  is  in  himfelf, 
and  from  himfelf,  and  in  like  Manner  every 

evil  and  falfe  Principle  -  -  312 

III.  That  every  Thing  of  which  a  Man  is 
perfuaded,  and  in  which  he  is  confirmed,  re- 
mains as  if  proper  to  him,  or  becomes  his  Pro- 
prium  or  Property  -  -  -  317 

IV^  That  if  Man  would  believe,  what  is  the 
Truth,  that  every  Thing  good  and  true  is  from 
the  Lord,  and  every  Thing  evil  and  falfe  is 

from 


^zxvl  C     O     N    T      E     N     T     S. 


Ko, 


from  Hell,  he  v/ould  neither  appropriate  Good 
to  himfelf,  and  make  it  meritorious,  nor  would 
he  appropriate  Evil  to  himfelf,  and  mak^  him- 
felf guilty  of  it  -  .  -  320 

T/jat   every  Mart   may   be  reformedy  and  that 
there  is  no  fuch  Thing  as  Predejiination         323 

I.  That  the  End  of  Creation  is  a  Heaven 

out  of  the  human  Race  -  -  323 

II.  That  thence  it  is  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, that  every  Man  is  capable  of  being 
faved,  and  that  they  are  faved  who  acknowl- 
edge a  God  and  lead  a  good  Life  -  325 

III.  Tli^t  it  is  a  Man's  own  Faulty  if  he  is 
not  faved  -  ^  ^ 

IV.  That  thus  all  are  predefined  to  Heav- 
en,  and  none  to  Hell  -  ^  329 


3^7 


Thai  the  Lord  cannot  aSl  agalnjl  the  Lazvs  of 
the  Divine  Providence ,  hecaufe  to  a6l  againjl 
them^  would  he  to  ad  againjl  his  Divine  Love 
end  his  Divine  Wifdom^  confeqitently  againjl 
kmjelf  ,  -  .  33  < 

» I.  That  the  Operation  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, in  faving  Man,  begins  at  his  Birth,  and 
continues  to  the  End  of  his  Life,  and  after- 
wards to  Eternity  -  -  332 

IL  Th'at  the  Operation  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence is  continually  effected  by  Means  out  of 
pure  Mercy  -  -  -  nnr 

in.  That  momentaneous  Salvation  from  im- 
mediate Mercy  is  not  poflible  -  33 B 

ANGELIC 


ANGELIC     WISDOM 

CONCERNING    THE 

DIVINE     PROVIDENCE. 


J'hat  the  Divine  Providence  is  the  Gov^ 
ernment  of  the  Divine  Love  and  the 
Divine  Wijdom  oj  the  Lord. 

I.  TN  Order  that  It  may  be  underftood  what  the 
j|_  Divine  Providence  is,  and  that  it  is  the  Gov- 
ernment of  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wif- 
dom  of  the  Lord,  it  is  of  Importance  that  what 
hath  been  before  faid  and  fhewn  concerning  the  Di- 
vine Love  and  the  Divine  Wifdom,  in  the  Treatife  on 
that  Subjed,  fliould  be  known,  which  is  as  follows. 
That  in  the  Lord  the  Divine  Love  is  of  the  Divine. 
"Wifdom,  and  the  Divine  Wifdom  is  of  the  Divine 
Love,  n.  34  to  39.  That  the  Divine  Love  and 
the  Divine  Wifdom  cannot  but  be  and  exifl  in 
other  Things  created  from  itfelf,  n.  47  to  51. 
That  all  Things  in  the  Univerfe  were  created 
from  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wifdom, 
n.  52,  ^i^  151  to  156.  That  all  Things  in  the 
Univerfe  are  Recipients  of  the  Divine  Love  and 
the  Divine  Wifdom,  n.  54  to  60.     That  the  Lord 

appears 


^8     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 


o 


appears  before  the  Angels  as  a  Sun,  and  that  the 
Heat  thence  proceeding  k  Love,  and  the  Light 
thence  proceeding  is  Wifdom,  n.  83  to  88,  89  to  92, 
93  to  98,  296  to  301.  That  the  Divine  Love  and 
the  Divine  Wifdom,  which  proceed  from  the  Lord, 
make  one,  n.  99  to  102.  That  the  Lord  from 
Eternity,  who  is  Jehovah,  created  the  Univerfe  and 
all  Things  therein  from  Himfelf,  and  not  from 
Nothing,  n.  282  to  284,  290  to  295.  Thefe  arc 
the  Contents  of  the  Treatife,  which  is  called  The 
Wifdom  of  the  Angels  concerning  The  Divine 
Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom. 

2.  From  thefe  Particulars,  compared  with  what 
was  defcribed  concerning  Creation  in  that  Treatife, 
it  may  indeed  appear,  that  it  is  the  Government  of 
the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wifdom  of  the 
Lord  which  is  called  the  Divine  Providence ;  but 
forafmucli  as  Creation  was  there  treated  of,  and 
not  the  Prefervation  of  the  State  of  Things  after 
Creation,  which  lad  is  the  Government  of  the  Lord, 
therefore  we  ihall  now  treat  on  this  Subjefl: ;  be- 
ginning this  firfl  Article  with  confidering  the  Pref- 
ervation of  the  Union  of  the  Divine  Love  and  the 
JDivine  W^ifdom,  or  of  the  Divine  Good  and  the 
Divine  Truth,  in  the  Things  which  are  created  ;  of 
which  we  Ihall  fpeak  in  this  Order  :  L  That  the  U- 
niverfe,  with  all  and  every  Thing  therein,  was  cre- 
Pxted  out  of  the  Divine  Love  by  the  Divine  Wifdom. 
IL  That  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wifdom 
proceed  as  One  from  the  Lord.  III.  That  this  One 
is  in  a  certain  Image  in  every  created  Thing.  IV. 
That  it  is  of  the  Divine  Providence,  that  every  crea- 
ted Thing  in  the  Whole  and  in  Part  fhould  be  fuch 

a  One ; 


The  Divine  Providence.  39 

a  One  ;  and  if  it  is  not,  that  it  fnoiild  be  made  fo* 
V.  That  the  Good  of  Love  is  not  Good,  except  fo 
far  as  it  is  united  to  the  True  of  Wifdom  ;  and  that 
the  True  of  Wifdom  is  not  True,  except  fo  far  ao  it 
is  united  to  the  Good  of  Love.  VL  That  the  Good 
of  Love  not  united  to  the  True  of  Wifdom  is  not 
Good  in  itfelf,  but  that  it  is  apparent  Good,  and 
that  the  True  of  Wifdom  not  united  to  the  Good  of 
Love  is  not  True  in  itfelf,  but  that  it  is  apparent 
Truth.  VIL  That  the  Lord  doth  not  fuffer  any 
Thing  to  be  divided,  wherefore  it  mud  either  be  in 
Good  and  at  the  fame  Time  in  Truth,  or  it  muff  be 
•  in  Evil  and  at  the  fame  Time  in  the  Faife.  VIIL 
That  that  which  is  in  Good  and  at  the  fame  Time 
in  Truth,  is  Something,  and  that  that  which  is  in 
Evil  and  at  the  fame  Time  in  the  Faife,  is  not  any 
Thing.  IX.  That  the  Divine  Providence  of  the 
Lord  caufeth  Evil  and  its  attendant  Faife  to  ferve 
for  Equihbrium,  Relation,  and  Purification,  and 
thereby  for  the  Conjundion  of  Good  and  Truth  in 
others. 

3.  L  That  the  Univerfe^  with  all  and  enjcry  Thing 
therein,  was  created  out  of  the  Divine  Love  by  the  Di" 
vine  Wifdom.  That  the  Lord  from  Eternity,  who, 
is  Jehovah,  is  as  to  his  Effence  Divine  Love  and 
Divine  Wifdom ;  and  that  He  out  of  Himfelf  cre- 
ated the  Univerfe  and  all  Things  therein,  was  fhewn 
In  the  Treatife  concerning  The  Divine  Love  and 
THE  Divine  Wisdom  ;  thence  it  followeth,  that 
the  Univerfe  with  all  and  every  Thing  therein  was 
created  out  of  the  Divine  Love  by  the  Divine  Wif- 
dom. In  the  above-mentioned  Treadfe  it  was  alfo 
ihewn,  that  Love  without  Wifdom  cannot  do  anv 

Thing, 


40    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Thing,  neither  Wifdom  without  Love ;  for  Love5 
without  Wifdom,  or  the  Will  without  the  Under- 
(landing,  cannot  think  any  Thing,  yea  it  cannot  fee 
and  be  fenfible  of  any  Thing,  nor  difcourfe  on  any 
Thing  ;  wherefore  neither  can  Love  without  Wif- 
dom, or  the  Will  without  the  Underftanding,  do 
any  Thing  ;  in  like  Manner  Wifdom  without  Love, 
or  the  Underftanding  without  the  Will,  cannot  think 
any  Thing,  neither  can  it  fee  and  be  fenfible  of  any 
Thing,  yea  neither  can  it  difcourfe  on  any  Thing ; 
wherefore  Wifdom  without  Love,  or  the  Under- 
ftanding  vathout  the  Will,  cannot  do  any  Thing ; 
for  if  Love  is  taken  away  herein,  there  is  no  longer 
any  Volition  [aliquod  ^eili]^  confequently  there  is 
not  any  Aciion  '[aliquod  agere~\.  And  as  this  is  the 
Cafe  with  Man  when  he  doeth  any  Thing,  much 
more  was  it  the  Cafe  with  God,  who  is  Love  itfelf 
and  Wifdom  itfelf,  v/hen  ke  created  and  made  the 
Univerfe  and  all  Things  therein.  That  the  Uni- 
verfe,  with  all  and  every  Thing  appertaining  to  it, 
was  created  out  of  the  Divine  Love  by  the  Divine  Wif- 
dom, may  be  confirmed  from  all  Things  which  are 
Objeds  of  Sight  in  the  World :  Take  only  any 
Objed  in  particular,  and  examine  it  with  fome  De- 
gree of  Wifdom,  and  you  will  be  confirmed ;  take 
a  Tree,  or  its  Seed,  or  its  Fruit,  or  its  Flower,  or 
its  Leaf,  and  collect  Wifdom  in  yourfelf,  and  view 
it  with  a  good  Microfcope,  and  you  will  fee  wonder- 
ful Things,  whild  the  Interiors,  which  you  do  not 
fee,  are  dill  more  wonderful :  Examine  the  Order 
in  its  Succeifion,  whereby  a  Tree  from  the  Seed 
groweth  till  it  produceth  new  Seed ;  and  confider 
whether  there  be  not  in  all  the  Succeifion  a  contin- 
ual 


The  Divine  Phovidence.  41 

aial  Endeavour  to  propagate  itfelf  further,  for   the 
Uhimate  to  which  it  tends  is  Seed,  in  which  it;> 
prohfic  [Principle]  exiils  anew.     If  then  you  will 
alfo  think  fpiritually,  (and  this  you  can  do  if  you 
will)  will  you  not  fee  Wifdom  herein  ?  efpecially  if 
you  will  fo  far  think  fpiritually,  that  this  Effed  is 
not  from  the  Seed^  nor  from  the  Sun  of  this  World, 
which  is  pure  Fire,  but  that  it  is  in  the  Seed  from 
God  the  Creator  who  hath  infinite  Wifdom  ;  and 
m  it  not  only  then  when  it  was  created,  but  alfo 
continually  afterwards ;  inafmuch  as  Support  is  per- 
petual Creation,  as  Subfidence  is  perpetual  Exift- 
ence:   For  as  the  Work  ceafeth,  if  you  take  away 
Will  from  Adion,  or  if  you   take  away  Thought 
from  Speech,  Speech  ceafeth  ;  or  if  you  take  away 
Endeavour  from  Motion,    Motion  ceafeth;  fo,  in 
like  Manner,  if  you  take  away  the  Caufe  from  the 
EfFeia,  the  EfFe«Si:  perifneth,  and  fo  on.     Every  crea- 
ted Subftance  indeed  is  endued  with  Power  [F/j-], 
but  Power  doth  not  do  any  Thing  from  itfelf,  but 
from  him  who  hath  endued  it  with  l^ower.     Exam- 
ine alfo  any  other  Subjed  on  Earth,  as  a  Silk- Worm ^ 
a  Bee,  or  any  other  Infed,  and  view  it  firft  natural- 
ly, and  afterwards  rationally,  and   lalLly  fpiritually, 
and  then  if  you  can  think  elevatedly,  you  will  be 
aftoniflied  at  every  Thing ;  and  if  you  admit   Wif- 
dom to  fpeak  in  you,  you  will  fay  in  your  Aftonifh- 
ment,  Who  doth  not  fee  a  Divine  Principle  in  thefe 
Things  ?    They  are  all  Effeds  of  the  Divine  Wif- 
dom.     Still  more  if  you  regard  the  Ufes   of  all 
Things  which  are  created,  how  they  fucceed  in  their 
Order  even  unto  Man,  and  from  Man  to  the  Crea- 
tor from  whom  they  are ;  and  that  upon  the  Con- 
^  .     jun\5lion 


42    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

jundlon  of  the  Creator  with  Man  the  Connexion 
of  all  Things  depends,  and  if  you  will  acknowledge 
it,  the  Prefervation  of  all  Things.  That  the  Divine 
Love  created  all  Things,  but  Nothing  without  the 
Divine  Wifdom,  will  be  feen  in  what  follows. 

4.  11.  Thai  the  Div'nie  Love  and  the  Divine  Wif- 
dom proceed  as  One  from  the  Lord,  This  alfo  is  evi- 
dent from  what  was  (hew^n  in  the  Treatife  concern- 
ing The  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom, 
efpecially  from  the  following  Articles  therein.  That 
TO  BE  and  TO  exist  f^.f^  ^^  Exiftere)  in  the  Lord 
are  diilindly  one,  n.  14  to  17.  That  in  the  Lord 
infinite  Things  are  diflindly  one,  n.  17  to  22.  That 
the  Divine  Love  is  of  the  Divine  Wifdom,  and  the 
Divine  Wifdom  of  the  Divine  Love,  n.  34  to  39. 
That  Love  without  a  Marriage  with  Wifdom  can- 
not do  any  Thing,  n.  401  to  403.  That  Lov£  does 
Nothing  but  in  Conjunclion  with  Wifdom,  n.  409^ 
410.  That  fpiritual  Heat  and  fpiritual  Light  in 
proceeding  from  the  Lord  as  a  Sun  make  one,  as 
the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wifdom  in  the 
Lord  are  one,  n^  99  to  132;  from  what  is  fhewn 
in  thefe  Articles,  the  Truth  of  this  Matter  is  evident. 
But  forafmuch  as  it  is  not  known  how  two  Things 
diftinQ;  from  each  other  can  ad  as  One,  I  will  here 
fliew  that  a  One  doth  not  exifl  without  a  Form,  but 
that  the  Form  itfelf  maketh  a  One  ;  and  next,  that 
the  Form  fo  much  the  more  perfectly  maketh  a  One, 
in  Proportion  as  the  Things  which  enter  the  Form, 
are  diflindly  other,  and  (till  united.  That  a  One 
doth  72ot  ex'ijl  without  a  Fcr7n^  but  that  the  Form  itfelf 
maketh  it  One :  Every  one  who  thinks  intently  with 
the  Mind,   may  fee  clearly,  that  a  One  without  a 

Form 


The  Divine  Providence.         43 

Form  doth  not  exlft,  and  if  it  doth  exiil  that  it  is  a 
Form ;  for  whatfoever  exifteth,  from  its  Form  deri- 
veth  that  which  is  called  Quality,  and  alfo  that 
which  is  called  Predicate,  alfo  that  which  is  called 
Change  of  State,  as  alfo  that  which  is  called  Rela- 
tion [_Relaihu?n]^  and  the  like;  wherefore  that 
which  is  not  in  a  Form,  is  not  of  any  Afl^dion,  and 
that  which  is  not  of  any  Affedion,  is  not  alfo  of  any 
Thing  fnullius  RciJ  ;  the  Form  itfelf  giveth  all 
thefe :  And  forafmuch  as  all  Things  which  are  in  a 
Form,  if  the  Form  is  perfeci:,  m.utiially  refpect  each 
other,  as  one  Link  in  a  Chain  doth  another,  there- 
fore it  follows  that  the  Form  iifelf  maketh  them  One, 
and  confequently  a  fubjeft,  whereof  Quality,  State, 
Affedion,  therefore  Something,  may  be  predicated, 
according  to  the  Perfedion  of  the  Form.  Such 
a  One  is  every  Thing  which  is  an  Objed  of  Sight 
in  the  World,  and  fuch  a  One  alfo  is  every  Thing 
which  is  not  an  objed  of  Sight,  whether  it  be  in  in- 
terior  Nature,  or  in  the  Spiritual  World ;  fuch  a  One 
is  Man,  and  fuch  a  One  is  a  human  Society ;  and  fuch 
a  One  is  the  Church,  as  alfo  the  univerfal  Angelic 
Heaven  before  the  Lord  ;  in  a  Word,  fuch  a  One  is 
the  created  Univerfe  not  only  in  general  but  in  eve- 
ry Particular.  In  Order  that  all  and  every  Thing 
may  be  Forms,  it  is  neceffary  that  He  who  created 
all  Things  fliould  be  Form  itfelf,  and  that  from  Form 
itfelf  all  Things  fhould  exift  which  are  created  in 
Forms :  This  therefore  is  what  is  ihewn  in  the  Treat- 
ife  concerning  The  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine 
Wisdom  under  the  following  Articles,  viz.  That 
the  itivine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wifdom  is  a  Sub- 
ftance  and  a  Form,  n.  40  to  43.     That  the  Divine 

Love 


44    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

I.ove  and  the  Divine  Wifdom  are  Subdance  and 
Form  in  iifclf,  therefore  the  Self-fubrifting  and  the 
Sole-fubfiiling,  n.  44  to  46.  That  the  Divine  Love 
and  the  Divine  Wifdom  in  the  Lord  are  One,  n.  14 
to  17,  n.  18  to  22.  And  that  they  pror^eed  as  One 
from  the  Lord,  n.  99  to  102,  and  in  other  Places. 
^hat  the  Form  maketh  a  One  Jo  ?niich  the  more  perfed- 
ly^  hi  Proportion  as  the  Things  which  enter  into  the 
Form,  are  di/iindly  other,  and  neverthelefs  united: 
This  is  comprehended  with  Difficulty  by  the  Under- 
flanding  unlefs  it  be  elevated,  becaufe  there  is  aa 
Appearance,  that  Form  cannot  otherwife  make  One, 
than  by  Semblances  of  Equality  of  the  Things  which 
conRitute  the  Form :  On  this  Subje6l  1  have  fre- 
quently converfed  with  the  Angels  ;  who  faid  that 
this  is  an  Arcanum,  which  the  Wife  among  them 
perceive  clearly,  but  the  lefs  Wife  obfcurely  5  nev- 
erthelefs that  it  is  a  Truth  that  a  Form  is  fo  much 
the  more  perfeft,  in  Proportion  as  the  Things  which 
conflitute  it,  are  diftinctly  other,  but  ftill  united  in 
a  fmgular  Manner :  They  confirmed  this  by  the 
Cafe  of  the  Societies  in  the  Heavens,  which  taken 
together  conflitute  the  Form  of  Heaven ;  and  by 
the  Angels  of  each  Society,  that  by  how  much  the 
more  diflindly  every  one  is  his  own,  and  therefore 
free,  and  thus  loveth  his  Aifociates  as  from  himfelf, 
and  from  his  own  AfFedtion,  the  Form  of  the  Socie- 
ty is  the  more  perfedl ;  they  alfo  illuflrated  it  by 
the  Marriage  of  Goodnefs  and  Truth,  that  by  how 
much  the  more  diflinftly  they  are  two,  by  fo  much 
the  more  perfeclly  they  can  make  One ;  and  in 
like  Manner  by  Love  and  Wifdom  ;  and  that  what 
is  indiftinft  is  confufed,  from  whence  all  Imperfec- 


The  Divine  Providence.         45 

tion  of  Form  refults.  But  how  Things  perfedly 
diflincl  are  united,  and  thus  make  One,  they  are  al- 
fo  confirmed  by  many  Inftances ;  efpecially  by  the 
Things  whic  hare  in  Man,^^'here  innumerable  Things 
are  fo  diitind,  and  ftill  united,  diflind  by  their  Coats, 
and  united  by  Ligaments ;  and  that  it  is  the  fame 
with  Love  and  every  Thing  appertaining  to  it,  and 
with  Wifdom  and  every  Thing  appertaining  to  it, 
which  are  not  otherwife  perceived  than  a.^;  One. 
More  on  this  Subjed  may  be  feen  in  the  Treatife  con- 
cerning The  Divine  Love  and  THE  Divine  Wis- 
dom, n.  14  to  2  2,  and  in  the  Work  concerning  Heav- 
en AND  Hell,  n.  56  and  489.  This  is  adduced 
becaufe  it  is  an  Arcanum  of  Angelic  Wifdom. 

5.  in.  That  this  0?ie  is  in  a  certain  Image  iii  every 
created  Thing.  That  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Di- 
vine Wifdom,  which  in  the  Lord  are  one,  are  in  a 
certain  Image  in  every  created  Thing,  may  appear 
from  what  is  fhewn  in  many  Parts  of  the  Treatife 
concerning  The  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine 
Wisdom,  and  efpecially  from  n.  47  to  31 5  54  to  60, 
282  to  284,  290  to  295,  316  to  318,  319  to  326, 
349  to  457  ;  in  which  Places  it  is  iliewn,  that  the 
Divine  is  in  every  created  Thing,  becaufe  God  the 
Creator,  who  is  the  Lord  from  Eternity,  from  him- 
felf  produced  the  Sun  of  the  Spiritual  World,  and 
by  that  Sun  all  Things  in  the  Univerfe,  ccnfequent- 
ly  that  that  Sun  which  is  from  the  Lord,  and  where- 
in the  Lord  is,  is  not  only  the  firfl:  Subftance,  but 
aifo  the  Sole  from  which  all  Things  are ;  and  for- 
afmuch  as  it  is  the  fole  Subftance,  it  follows  that  it 
is  in  every  created  Thing,  but  with  infinite  Variety 
3^cording  to  Ules.     Now  forafmuch  as  in  the  Lord 

there 


46    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

there  is  Divine  Love  and  Divine  Wifdom,  and  in 
the  Sun  from  Him  Divine  Fire  and  Divine  Bright- 
nefs,  and  from  the  Sun  fpiritual  Heat  and  fpiritual 
Light,  and  thefe  two  make  one,  it  follows  that  this 
One  is  in  a  certain  Image  in  every  created  Thing. 
Hence  it  is,  that  all  Things  which  are  in  the  Uni- 
verfe  have  Relation  to  Good  and  Truth,  yea  to  the 
Conjundlion  of  them,  or  what  is  the  fame,  that  all 
Things  in  the  Univerfe  have  Relation  to  Love  and 
Wifdom,  and  to  the  Conjunction  thereof,  for  Good 
is  of  Love,  and  Truth  is  of  Wifdom,  inafmuch  as 
Love  calleth  all  that  appertaineth  to  it  Good,  and 
Wifdom  calleth  all  that  appertaineth  to  it  True : 
That  there  is  a  Conjun6lion  of  thefe  in  every  created 
Thing,  will  be  feen  in  what  follows. 

6.  It  is  acknowledged  by  many,  that  there  is  one 
only  Subilance,  which  is  alfo  the  firfl,  from  which 
all  Things  are ;  but  what  that  Subflance  is,  it  is 
not  known ;  it  is  thought  that  it  is  fo  fnnple  that 
Nothing  can  be  fnnpler,  and  that  it  may  be  likened 
to  a  Point  which  is  of  no  Dimenfion,  and  that  from 
an  infinite  Number  of  fuch,  the  Forms  of  Dimen- 
fion exiiled :  This  however  is  a  Fallacy  originating 
from  the  Idea  of  Space  ;  for  from  this  Idea  there 
appears  to  be  fuch  a  fmalleft  [Point  or  Particle] : 
Neverthelefs  it  is  a  Truth,  that  by  how  much  any 
Thing  is  more  fimple  and  pure,  by  fo  much  it  is 
more  and  fuller  ;  which  is  the  Reafon  why  the 
more  interiorly  any  Objed  is  viewed,  fo  much  the 
more  wonderful,  perfed,  and  beautiful  Things  are 
feen  in  it ;  and  thus  that  in  the  firil  Subflance  there 
are  the  mofl  wonderful,  beautiful,  and  perfed 
Things  of  all.     The  Ground  and  Reafon  of  this  is, 

becaufe 


The  Divine  Providence.         47 

becaufe  the  firfi:  Subflance  is  from  the  fpiritual  Sun, 
which,  as  was  faid,  is  from  the  Lord,  and  in  which 
the  Lord  is,  therefore  that  very  Sun  is  the  only  Sub- 
flance, which  forafmuch  as  it  is  not  in  Space,  is  all 
in  all,  and  in  the  greateft  and  lead  Things  in  the 
created  Univerfe.  Forafmuch  as  that  Sun  is  the 
firll  atld  only  Subflance,  from  which  all  Things  arc, 
it  follows  that  there  are  in  it  infinitely  more  Things 
than  what  can  appear  in  the  Subftances  thence  deri- 
ved, which  are  called  fubftantiate,  and  hUly  mate- 
rial :  The  Reafon  why  the  former  cannot  appear  in 
the  latter,  is,  becaufe  they  defcend  from  that  Sun  by 
Degrees  of  two  Kinds,  according  to  which  all  Per- 
fedlions  decreafe  :  Hence  it  is,  that,  as  was  faid 
above,  by  how  much  any  Thing  is  viewed  morie  in- 
teriorly, by  fo  much  the  more  wonderful,  perfed, 
and  beautiful  Things  are  feen  in  it.  Thefe  Obfer- 
vations  are  here  made  in  Order  to  confirm  this 
Truth,  that  there  is  a  certain  Image  of  the  Divine 
in  every  created  Thing,  but  that  it  appears  lefs  and 
lefs  in  defcending  by  Degrees,  and  ftiil  lefs  when 
the  inferior  Degree,  being  feparated  from  the  fupe- 
rior  Degree  by  a  Clofure,  is  choaked  up  with  earthy 
Matter.  Thefe  Obfervations  however  cannot  but 
feem  obfcure,  unlefs  what  hath  been  faid  concerning 
the  fpiritual  Sun  in  the  Treatife  on  The  Divine 
Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  53  to  172  ;  of 
Degrees,  n.  173  to  281  ;  and  of  the  Creation  of  the 
Univerfe,  n.  282  to  ^^^y^  hath  been  firft  read  and  un- 
derflood. 

7.  IV.  Tbat  it  is  of  the  Divine  Providence^  that  ev^ 
cry  created  Thing  in  the  Whole  and  in  Part  Jldould  be 
fuch  a  One^  and  if  it  is  noty  that  itjhould  be  madefo  ; 

that 


48     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

that  Is,  that  hi  every  created  Thing  there  ihould  be 
Something  out  of  the  Divine  Love,  and  at  the  fame 
Time  out  of  the  Divine  Wifdom,  or  what  is  the  fame, 
that  in  every  created  Thing  there  fhould  be  Good 
and  Truth,  or  a  ConjunQion  of  the  Good  and  the 
True  :  Forafmuch  as  Good  is  of  Love  and  the  True 
is  of  Wifdom,  as  was  faid  above,  n.  5  ;  therefore  in 
what  follows,  inftead  of  Love  and  Wifdom  we  fliall 
ufe  the  Words  Good  and  True,  or  Goodnefs  and 
Truth,  and  inftead  of  the  Union  of  Love  and  Wif- 
dom, the  Marriage  of  Goodnefs  and  Truth. 

8.  From  the  preceding  Article  it  is  evident,  that 
the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wifdom,  which 
in  the  Lord  are  One,  and  from  the  Lord  proceed 
as  One,  exiil  in  a  certain  Image  in  every  Thing 
created  by  Him  ;  it  may  be  expedient  nov/  to  fpeak 
particularly  of  that  One,  or  Union,  which  is  called 
the  Marriage  of  Goodnefs  and  Truth.  That  Mar- 
riage is,  L  in  the  Lord  himfelf ;  fpr  as  hath  been 
faid,  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wifdom  in 
Him  are  One.  IL  It  is  from  the  Lord,  for  in  eve- 
ry Thing  which  proceedeth  from  Him,  Love  and 
Wifdom  are  perfectly  united ;  thefe  two  proceed 
from  the  Lord  as  a  Sun,  the  Divine  LoVe  as  Heaty 
and  the  Divine  Wifdom  as  Light.  III.  They  are 
received  by  the  Angels  indeed  as  two,  but  they  are 
united  in  them  by  the  Lord  :  The  Cafe  is  the  fame 
with  Men  of  the  Church.  IV.  From  the  Influx  of 
Love  and  Wifdom  from  the  Lord  as  one  into  the  An- 
gels of  Heaven  and  Men  of  the  Church,  and  from  the 
Reception  thereof  by  Angels  and  Men,  it  is  that  the 
Lord  in  the  Word  is  called  the  Bridegroom  and 
the  Hufband^  and  Heaven  and  the  Church  the  Bride 

and 


The  Divine  Providence,^         45 

and  the  Wife.  V.  As  far  therefore  as  Heaven  and 
the  Church  in  general,  and  an  Angel  of  Heaven 
and  a  Man  of  the  Church  in  particular,  is  in  that 
Union,  or  in  the  Marriage  of  Goodneis  and  Truths 
fo  far  they  are  an  Image  and  Likenefs  of  the  Lord  ; 
becaufe  thefe  two  in  the  Lord  are  One,  yea  they  are 
the  Lord*  VL  Love  and  Wifdom  in  Heaven  and 
ill  the  Church  in  general,  and  in  an  Angel  of  Heav- 
en and  in  a  Man  of  the  Church,  are  One,  when  the 
Will  and  the  Under  [landing,  and  therefore  when 
Goodnefs  and  Truth  make  one,  or  what  is  the 
fame,  when  Charity  and  Faith  make  one  :  or  what 
is  dill  the  fame,  when  Dodrine  from  the  Word^ 
and  a  Life  according  to  it  make  one.  VII.  But  how 
thefe  two  make  one  in  Man  and  in  all  Thing.s  ap-* 
pertaining  to  him,  is  (hewn  in  the  Trealife  concern^ 
ing  The  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wis- 
dom, Part  the  Fifth,  where  the  Creation  of  Man, 
and  particularly  the  Correfpondence  of  the  W^ill 
and  the  Underftanding  with  the  Heart  and  the 
Lungs  are  treated  of,  from  n.  385  to  432. 

9.  But  how  thefe  make  One  in  the  Things  which 
are  beneath  or  without  Man,  as  well  in  the  Things 
which  are  in  the  Animal  Kingdom^  as  in  thofe 
which  are  in  the  Vegetable  Kingdom,  will  be  fhewn 
in  many  Places  in  what  follows ;  previous  to  which 
thefe  three  Things  are  to  be  premifed  :  First^ 
That  in  the  Univerfe,  and  in  all  and  every  Thing 
therein,  which  was  created  by  the  Lord,  there  was 
a  Marriage  of  Goodnefs  and  Truth.  Secondly, 
That  that  Marriage  after  the  Creation  was  feparated 
in  Man.  Thirdly,  That  it  is  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence that  what  is  feparated  fhould  be  made  one, 
G  and 


50    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

and  thus  that  the  Marriage  of  Goodnefs  and  Truth 
ihould  be  reftored.  Thefe  three  Particulars  are 
abundantly  confirmed  in  the  Treatife  on  The  Di- 
vine Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,  wherefore 
they  have  no  Need  of  further  Confirmation :  Eve- 
ry one  alfo  may  fee  from  Reafon,  that  fmce  a  Mar- 
riage of  Goodnefs  and  Truth  was  by  Creation  in 
every  created  Thing,  and  fmce  this  v/as  afterwards 
feparated,  the  Lord  muft  operate  continually,  that 
it  may  be  reftored  ;  confequently  that  the  Reilora- 
tion  thereof,  and  thereby  the  Conjundion  of  the 
created  Univerfe  with  the  Lord  through  Man,  is  of 
the  Divine  Providence. 

I  o.  V.  That  the  Good  of  Love  is  not  Good^  except  fo 
far  as  it  is  united  to  the  True  of  Wifdom^  and  that  the 
True  of  Wifdom  is  not  True^  except  fo  far  as  it  is  uni* 
ted  to  the  Good  of  Love  :  Good  and  Truth  derive  this 
from  their  Origin,  Good  in  its  Origin  is  in  the 
Lord,  in  like  Manner  is  Truth,  becaufe  the  Lord 
is  Good  itfelf  and  Truth  itfelf,  and  thefe  two  in 
Him  are  one  ;  hence  it  is  that  Good  in  the  Angels 
of  Heaven  and  in  Men  of  the  Earth  is  not  Good 
in  itfelf,  except  fo  far  as  it  is  united  to  Truth,  and 
that  Truth  is  not  Truth  in  itfelf,  except  fo  far  as  it 
is  united  to  Good.  That  all  Good  and  all  Truth 
is  from  the  Lord,  is  well  known ;  hence,  foraf- 
much  as  Good  maketh  one  with  Truth,  and  Truth 
with  Good,  it  follows,  that  in  Order  to  Good  being 
Good  in  itfelf,  and  Truth  being  True  in  itfelf  they 
muil  make  one  in  the  Recipient,  which  is  an  Angel 
of  Heaven  and  a  Man  of  the  Earth. 

II.  It  is  known  indeed  that  all  Things  in  the  LT- 
niverfe  have  Relation  to  Good  and  Truth,  becaufe 

by 


The  Divine  Providence.         51 

by  Good  Is  uncierflood  that  which   univerfally  em- 
braceth  and  iiivolveth  all  Things  of  Love,  and  by 
Truth  is  underfbod  that  which  univerfally  embra- 
ceth  and  involveth  all  l^hings  of  Wifdom  ;  but  it  'is 
not  yet  known  that  Good  is  not  any  Thing  unlefs 
united  to  Truth,  nor  that  Truth  is  not  any  Thing 
unlefs  united  to  Good  :  It  appears  indeed  as  if  Good 
were  Something  without  Truth,  and  as  if  Truth 
were  Something  without   Good,  but  ftill  they   are 
not ;  for  Love,  all  Things  appertaining  to  which  are 
called  Goods,  is  the  EJle  of  a  Thing,  and  Wifdom, 
all  Things  appertaining  to  which  arc  called  Truths, 
is  the  Exi/iere  (Exiftence)  of  a  Thing  from  that 
jLlfe,  as  was  fhewn  in  the  Treatife  on  The  Divine 
Love  AND   the  Divine  Wisdom,  n.    14  to  16; 
wherefore  as  an  Elle  (ElTence)  without  Exifience  is 
not  any  Thing,  nor  Exiilence  without  an  EfTence,  fo 
Good  without  Truth,   and  Truth  without  Good, 
are  not  any  l^hing.     In  like  Manner,  what  is  Good 
without  Relation  to  Something  ?  can  it  be  called 
Good  ?  it  being  in  fuch  Cafe  of  no  Affeaion  and 
af  no  Perception  ;    to  appertain  to  Affedion  and 
Perception  hath  Relation  to  Truth,  together  with 
the  Good  which  affecleth,  and  which  caufeth  Itfelf 
to  be  perceived  and  felt,  becaufe  it  hath  Relation 
to  that  which  is  in  the  Underftanding  ;  fay  barely 
to  any  one,  Good,  and  not  this  or  that  is  good,  and 
is  Good  any  Thing  ?   But  by  Virtue  of  this  or  that 
which  is  perceived  as  one  with  Good,  it  is  Some- 
thing ;  this  is  not  united  to  Good  any  where  elfe 
but  in  the  Underflanding,  and  the  All  of  the  Un- 
derflanding  hath  Relation  to  Truth.     It  is  the  fame 
with  Volition  (vellej  j    to  will  without  knowing, 

perceiving. 


52     Angelic  Wisdom  coNCERNiNe^ 

perceiving,  and  thinking  what  a  Man  willeth,  is  not 
any  Thing,  but  together  with  thefe  it  becometh 
Something  ;  all  Volition  (n^ellej  is  of  Love,  and 
hath  Relation  to  Good,  and  all  Knowledge  (fcire)y 
Perception,  and  Thought  is  of  the  Underflanding, 
and  hath  Relation  to  Truth  ;  hence  it  is  evident, 
that  to  will  is  not  any  Thing,  but  to  will  this  or 
that  is  Something.  It  is  the  fame  with  all  Ufe,  be- 
caufe  Ufe  is  good  j  Ufe,  unlefs  it  be  determined  to 
Something,  with  which  it  may  be  one,  is  not  Ufe, 
therefore  it  is  not  any  Thing  ;  Ufe  derives  its  be- 
ing Something,  from  the  Underflanding,  and  that 
whidh  is  thence  conjoined  or  adjoined  to  Ufe,  hath  Re- 
lation to  Truth  ;  from  this  Ufe  derives  its  Quality* 
From  thefe  few  Hints  it  may  appear  that  Good  with- 
out Truth  is  not  any  Thing,  therefore  ihat  neither  is 
Truth  without  Good  any  Thing.  It  is  faid  that 
Good  with  Truth  and  Truth  with  Good  are  Some« 
thing,  hence  it  follows,  that  Evil  with  Falfe  and 
Falfe  with  Evil  are  not  Something,  for  the  latter  are 
cppofite  to  the  former,  and  Oppofition  deflroyeth, 
in  the  prefent  Cafe  deftroyeth  that  which  is  Sorne^ 
thing  (allquid)  ;  but  more  of  this  in  what  follows. 

1 2.  But  there  exifteth  a  Marriage  of  Goodnefs 
and  Truth  in  the  Caufe,  and  there  exifleth  a  Mar* 
riage  of  Goodnefs  and  Truth  from  the  Caufe  in  the 
Effed ;  the  Marriage  of  Goodnefs  and  Truth  in  the 
Caufe,  is  the  Marriage  of  the  Will  and  the  Under, 
{landing,  or  of  Love  and  Wifdom  ;  in  all  that  a  Man 
willeth  and  thinketh,  and  which  he  thence  conclu- 
fdeth  and  intendeth,  there  is  this  Marriage :  This 
Marriage  entereth  the  Effed  and  caufeth  it,  but  in 
^fteding,  thefe  two  appear  diflind,  becaufe  what  is 

Simultaneous 


The  Divine  Providence.  53 

Simultaneous  then  conflitutcth  what  is  Succefiive : 
As  when  a  Man  willeth  and  thinketh  to  be  nourifh- 
ed,  to  be  cloathed,to  have  a  Dwelling, to  do  any  Bufi- 
jiefs  or  Work,  or  to  converfe,  in  this  Caie  he  firfl  limul- 
taneoufly  willeth  and  thinketh,  or  concludeth  and 
ijiteadeth  it,  and  when  he  hath  determined  thele 
Operations  toEifecl,  then  one  Thing  fucceedcth  after 
another,  but  ftill  they  continually  make  one  in  the 
JVill  and  in  the  Thought :  Ufcs  in  thefe  EHx^as  are 
of  Love  or  of  Good,  Means  to  Ufes  are  of  the  Un- 
derif  anding  or  of  Truth.  Thefe  Univerfals  any  one 
may  confirm  by  Particulars,  if  fo  be  he  diftindtly 
perceiveth  what  hath  Relation  to  the  Good  of  Love 
and  what  to  the  True  of  Wifdom,  and  diftindly 
perceiveth  how  it  hath  Relation  in  the  Caufe  and 
how  in  the  Effect. 

13.  It  hath  occafionally  been  faid,  that  Love 
makes  the  Life  of  Man,  but  it  is  not  meant  Love 
feparate  from  Wifdom,  or  Good  feparate  from 
Truth  in  the  Caufe,  becaufe  Love  feparate  or  Good 
feparate,  is  not  any  Thing,  wherefore  the  Love 
which  maketh  the  inmofl  Life  of  Man,  which  isr 
from  the  Lord,  is  Love  and  Wifdom  together  : 
neither  alfo  is  the  Love  which  maketh  the  Life  of 
Man  fo  far  as  he  is  a  Recipient,  feparated  in  the 
Caufe,  but  in  the  Effect ;  for  Love  cannot  be  under- 
flood  without  its  Quality,  and  its  Quality  is  Wif- 
dom ;  Quality  or  Wifdom  cannot  be  given  except 
from  its  Effe,  which  is  Love,  hence  it  is  that  they 
are  one  ;  it  is  the  fame  with  Good  and  Truth.  New 
forafmuch  as  Truth  is  from  Good,  as  Wifdom  is 
from  Love,  therefore  both  taken  together  are  called 
JLove  or  Good,  for  Love  in  its  Form  is  Wifdom, 

J  and 


54    Angflic  Wisdom  concerning 

and  Good  in  its  Form  is  Truth  j  from  its  Form, 
and  from  no  other  Source  is  all  its  Quality. 
Hereby  then  it  may  appear  that  Good  is  not  in  the 
leaft  Good,  any  more  than  in  Proportion  as  it  is  uni- 
ted  to  its  Truth,  and  that  Truth  is  not  in  the  leaft 
Truth,  any  more  than  in  Proportion  as  it  is  united 
to  its  Good. 

14,  VI.  That  the  Good  of  Love  not  united  to  the 
True  of  Wfdo?n  is  not  Good  in  itfef^  but  that  it  is 
apparent  Cood^  and  that  the  True  ofWifdojn  not  united 
to  the  Good  of  Love  is  not  True  in  itfef  but  that  it  is 
apparent  Truth,  The  Truth  is,  that  there  doth  not- 
exift  any  Good  which  is  Good  in  itfelf,  except  it  be 
united  to  its  Truth,  nor  any  Truth  which  is  True 
in  iticif,  except  it  be  united  to  its  Good ;  neverthe- 
lefs  ^here  exnts  Good  feparate  from  Truth,  and 
Truth  feparate  from  Qood ;  this  exideth  in  Hypo- 
crites and  Flatterers,  in  all  the  Wicked  whatfoever, 
and  in  thofe  who  are  in  natural  Good  and  in  no  fpirit- 
ual  Good  ;  thefe  can  do  Good  to  the  Church,  to  their 
Country,  to  Society,  to  their  Fellow-Citizens,  to  the 
Needy,  the  Poor,  to  Widows  and  Orphans,  and  they 
can  alfo  underftand  Truths,  from  the  Underftanding 
think  them,  and  from  Thought  fpeak  and  teach 
them  ;  but  (till  thefe  Goods  and  Truths  arc  not  inte- 
riorly, therefore  not  in  themfelves  Goods  and  Truths 
in  them,  but  they  are  exteriorly  Goods  and  Truths, 
therefore  only  in  Appearance,  for  they  are  only  for 
the  Sake  of  Self  and  the  World,  and  not  for  the 
Sake  of  Good  itfelf  and  Truth  itfelf,  confequently 
not  grounded  in  Goodnefs  and  Truth  ;  wherefore 
they  are  only  of  the  Mouth  and  of  the  Body,  and 
not  of  the  Heart  5  and  may  be  compared  to  Gold 

and 


The  Divine  Providence. 


55 


and  Silver  inclofing  Drofs,  or  putriJ  Wood  or 
Dung  ;  and  Truths  thus  uttered  may  be  compared 
to  the  Wind  of  Refpiration  which  is  difperfed,  or  to 
an  Ignis  fatuus  which  vaniflieth,  which  neverthelefs 
outwardly  appear  as  if  they  were  genuine  :  Notwith- 
ftanding,  however,  fuch  Appearance,  they  may  ap- 
pear otherwife  to  the  Hearers  and  Recipients,  who 
do  not  know  this  ;  for  what  is  external  afledeth 
every  one  according  to  his  internal,  inafniuch  as 
Truth  entereth,  from  whatever  Mouth  it  be  uttered, 
into  the  Hearing  of  another,  and  is  received  by  the 
Mind  according  to  its  State  and  Quality.  With 
thofe  who  are  in  natural  Good  hereditarily,  and  in 
no  fpiritual  Good,  the  Cafe  is  nearly  funilar,  for 
the  Internal  of  all  Good  and  of  all  Truth  is  fpiritual, 
and  this  fhaketh  off  Falfes  and  Evils,  but  the  Natu- 
ral Principle  alone  favoureth  them,  and  to  favour 
Evils  and  Falfes,  and  to  do  Good,  do  not  accord. 

tj.  The  Ground  and  Reafon  why  Good  can  be 
feparated  from  Truth,  and  Truth  from  Good,  and 
when  it  is  feparated,  ilill  appear  as  Good  and  Truth, 
is,  becaufe  Man  hath  a  Faculty  of  acting,  which  is 
called  Liberty,  and  a  Faculty  of  underftanding, 
which  is  called  Rationality  ;  from  the  Abufe  of 
thefe  Faculties  it  is,  that  Man  can  appear  different 
in  Externals  from  what  he  is  in  Internals  ;  there- 
fore that  a  wicked  Man  can  do  Good  and  fpeak 
Truth,  or  that  the  Devil  can  imitate  an  Angel  of 
Light.  But  on  this  Subjecl  fee  the  following  Obfer^ 
rations  in  the  Treatife  on  The  Divine  Love  and 
THE  Divine  Wisdom  :  That  the  Origin  of  Evil  is 
from  the  Abufe  of  the  Faculties  which  are  proper 
to  Man,  and  are  called  Rationality  and  Liberty,  n,  264 

to 


^6    Angelic  Wisdom  coNcEtiNiNO 

to  270.  That  thefe  two  Faculties  exifl  as  well  In 
the  Vv  icked  as  in  the  Good,  n.  425.  That  Love  with- 
out a  Marriage  with  Wildom,  or  Good  without  3 
Marriage  with  Truth,  cannot  do  any  Thing,  n.  401* 
That  Love  does  Nothing  but  in  Gonjundion  with 
WiiUoin  or  the  Under  (tan  ding,  n.  409.  That  Love 
joineth  itfelf  to  Wifdom  or  the  Underflanding,  and 
caufeth  Wifdom  or  the  Underflanding  to  be  recip- 
rocally joined  to  it,  n.  410,  411,  412.  That  Wif- 
dom or  the  Underflanding,  by  Means  of  the  Power 
given  it  by  l^ove,  can  be  elevated,  and  receive  the 
Things  which  are  of  the  Light  from  Heaven,  and 
perceive  them,  n.  413.  That  Love  can  in  like 
Manner  be  elevated,  and  receive  the  Things  which 
are  of  the  Heat  from  Heaven,  if  it  loves  Wifdom 
its  Confort  in  that  Degree,  n.  414,  415.  That 
otherwife  Love  draws  dov/n  Wifdom  or  the  Under- 
flanding from  its  Elevation,  that  it  may  a6l  as  one 
\vith  it,  n.  416  to  418.  That  Love  is  purified  ia 
the  Underflanding,  if  they  are  elevated  together, 
n.  419  to  421.  That  Love  purified  by  Wifdom  in 
the  Underflanding  becomes  fpiritual  and  celeflial  j 
but  that  Love  defiled  in  the  Underflanding  be- 
comes fenfual  and  corporeal,  n.  422  to  424.  That 
it  is  the  fame  with  Charity  and  Faith  and  their  Con- 
jun61:ion,  as  it  is  with  Love  and  Wifdom  and  their 
Conjunclion,  n,  427  to  430.  What  Charity  is  in 
Heaven,  n.  451. 

16.  VIL  Thnt  the  Lord  doth  not  juffer  any  Thing 
to  be  divided^  ^wherefore  it  muji  either  be  in  Good  and 
at  the  f ante  Time  in  Truths  or  in  Evil  and  at  the  fame 
Time  in  the  Falfe.  The  Divine  Providence  of  the 
Lord  hath  efpecially  for  its  End,  and  operates,  thas 

Ma« 


The  Divine  Providence,  57 

Man  may  be  in  Good  and  at  the  fame  Time  in 
Truth,  inafmuch  as  hereby  he  is  his  own  Good  and 
his  own  Love,  and  alio  his  own  Truth  and  his  cwn 
Wifdom  ;    for  by  this  Man  is  Man,  being  in  this 
Cafe  an  Image  of  the  Lord  :  But  forafmuch  as  Man, 
while  he  hveth  in  the  World,  can  be  in  Good  and 
at  the  fame  Time  in  the  Falfe,  alfo  in  Evil  and  at 
the  fame  Time  in  Truth,  yea  can  be  in  Evil  and  at 
the  fame  Time  in  Good,  and  thus  as  it  w^ere  a  dou- 
ble Man,   and  fmce  this  Divifion  dellroyeth  that 
Image  and   confequently  the  Man,    therefore  the 
Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord,  in  all  and  fmgular 
its   Operationsj  hath   in  View,   that  this  Divifion 
ihould  not  exift  :   And  forafmuch  as  it  is  lefs  hurt-. 
ful  to  Man,  to  be  in  Evil  and  at  the  fame  Time  in 
the  Falfe,  than  to  be  in  Good  and  at  the  fame  Time 
in  Evil,  therefore  the  Lord  permitteth  the  former, 
not  as  willing  it,  but  as  not  being  able  to  refifl  it 
for  the  Sake  of  the  End,  which  is  Salvation,     The 
Reafon  why  Man  can  be  in  Evil  and  at  the  fame 
Time  in  Truth,  and  that  the  Lord  cannot  refill  it 
for  the  Sake  of  the  End,  which  is  Salvation,  is  be- 
caufe  the  Underflanding  of  Man  can  be  elevated 
into  the  Light  of  Wifdom,  and  fee  Truths,  or  ac- 
knowledge them  when  he  heareth  them,  his  Love 
remaining  below  ;  thus  Man  can  be  with  his  Un- 
derflanding in  Heaven,  but  with  his  Love  in  Hell, 
and  to  be  lo^  cannot  be  denied  Man,  becaufe  the 
two  Faculties,  by  which  he  is  Man,  and  is  didin- 
guilhed  from  Beads,  and  by  which  alone  he  can  be 
regenerated  and  thereby  faved,  which  are  Rational- 
ity and  Liberty,  cannot  be  taken  away  from  him  ; 
for  by  them  Man  can  adi  according  to  Wifdom,  and 

H  *i:b 


58     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

alfo  can  a6l  according  to  the  Lovt  not  of  Wifdom, 
and  can  from  Wifdom  above  fee  Love  beneath,  and 
thus  fee  his  own  Thoughts,  Intentions,  AfFeftions, 
therefore  the  Evils  and  Falies,  as  alfo  the  Goods  and 
Truths  of  his  Life  and  Dodrine,  without  a  Knowl- 
edge and  Acknowledgment  of  which  in  himfelf,  he 
cannot  be  reformed.  Of  thefe  two  Faculties  Some- 
thing hath  been  faid  above,  and  more  will  be  faid 
in  what  follows.  This  is  the  Reafon  why  Man  can 
be  in  Good  and  at  the  fame  Time  in  Truth,  alfo  in 
Evil  and  at  the  fame  Time  in  the  Falfe,  and  likewife 
in  the  Alternates  thereof. 

17.  Man  can  with  Difficulty  in  this  World  come 
either  into  one  or  the  other  Conjundion  or  Union, 
that  is,  of  Good  and  True,  or  of  Evil  and  Falfe,  for 
fo  long  as  he  Hveth  here,  he  is  kept  in  a  State  of 
Reformation  or  Regeneration  ;  but  every  Man 
Cometh  into  one  or  the  other  after  Death,  becaufe 
then  he  can  no  longer  be  reformed  and  regenera- 
ted  J  he  then  remains  fuch  as  his  Life  had  been  in 
the  World,  that  is,  fuch  as  his  ruling  Love  had 
been  ;  wherefore  if  his  Life  had  been  a  Life  of  the 
Love  of  Evil,  every  Truth  which  he  had  acquired 
from  Mafte.rs,  Preachings,  or  the  Word  in  this 
World,  is  taken  away  from  him,  which  being  taken 
away,  he  imbibes  the  Falfe  which  accords  v/ith  his 
Evil,  as  a  Spunge  doth  Water  ;  and  vice  vcrfa ;  but 
if  his  Life  had  been  a  Life  of  the  Love  of  Good, 
every  Falfe  is  removed  which  he  had  imbibed  by 
Hearing  or  by  Reading  in  the  World,  and  which 
he  had  not  confirmed  in  himfelf,  and  in  Place  there- 
of is  given  Truth  which  accordeth  with  his  Good. 
This  is  meant  by  thefe  Words  of  the  Lord,  "  Take 

the 


The  Divine  Providence. 


S9 


the  Talent  from  bimy  and  give  if  iinio  him  which  hath 
ten  Talents  ;  for  unto  every  one  that  hath  Jhall  be  giv* 
en^  and  he  Jhall  have  Abundance  ;  but  from  him  that 
hath  not  Jhall  be  taken  away  even  that  which  he  hath^^ 
Matt.  XXV.  28,29.  Chap.  xiii.  12.  Markiv.  25. 
Luke  viii.  18.     Chap.  xix.  24  to  26. 

18.  The  Ground  and  Reafon  why  every  one  after 
Death  mull:  either  be  in  Good  and  at  the  fame  Time 
in  Truth,  or  in  Evil  and  at  the  fame  Time  in  the 
Falfe,  is,  becaufe  Good  and  Evil  cannot  be  joined^' 
neither  Good  and  at  the  fame  Time  the  Falfe  of 
Evil,  nor  Evil,  and  at  the  fame  Time  the  True  of 
Good,  for  they  are  Oppofites,  and  Oppofites  combat 
each  other,  until  one  deftroyeth  the  other.  They 
who  are  in  Evil  and  at  the  fame  Time  in  Good,  are 
underflood  by  thefe  Words  of  the  Lord  to  the 
Church  of  Laodicea  in  the  Apocalypfe,  "  /  know 
thy  Works ^  that  thou  art  neither  cold  nor  hot  ;  I  would 
thou  wert  either  cold  or  hot  ;  but  becaufe  thou  art  luke^ 
warm^  and  neither  cold  nor  hot^  I  will  f pew  thee  out  of 
7ny  Mouth^^  iii,  15,  16  :  Alfo  by  thefe  Words  of 
the  Lord,  "  tvo  Man  can  ferve  two  Majlers  ;  for 
either  he  will  hate  the  one  and  love  the  other,  or  elfe 
he  will  hold  to  the  one  and  defpife  the  other,'*  Matt. 
vi.  24. 

19.  VIII.   That  that  which  is  in  Good  and  at  the 
fame  Ti?ne  in  Truth  is  Something,  and  that  that  which 

is  in  Evil  and  at  the  fame  Time  in  the  Falfe  is  ?iot 
any  Thing,  That  that  which  is  in  Good  and  at  the 
fame  Time  in  Truth  is  Something,  may  be  feen 
above,  n.  1 1  ;  thence  it  follows,  that  what  is  Evil 
and  at  the  fame  Time  Falfe  is  not  any  Thing.  By 
not  being  any  Thing,  is  meant  that  it  hath  no  Power^ 

and 


6o    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

and  nothing  of  fpiritual  Life  :  They  who  are  In  Evil 
and  at  the  fame  Time  in  the  Falfe,  all  of  whom  are 
in  Hell,  have  indeed  Power  among  themfelves,  for  a 
wicked  Spirit  can  do  Evil,  and  alfo  doth  do  Evil  a 
thoufand  Ways,  neverthelefs  he  can  only  from  a 
Principle  of  Evil  do  Evil  to  the  Wicked,  but  cannot 
in  the  leafl  do  Evil  to  the  Good,  and  if  he  doeth  E- 
vil  to  the  Good,  which  fometimes  is  the  Cafe,  it  is  by 
Conjundion  with  their  Evil ;  thence  come  Tempta- 
tions, which  are  Infeflations  arifmg  from  evil  Spirits 
about  a  Man,  and  confequent  Combats,  whereby 
the  Good  may  be  delivered  from  their  Evils.  For- 
afmuch  as  the  Wicked  have  no  Power,  therefore  the 
univerfal  Hell  before  the  Lord  is  not  only  as  Noth- 
ing, but  it  is  altogether  Nothing  as  to  Power  ;  that 
it  is  fo,  I  have  feen  confirmed  by  much  Experience. 
This  however  is  wonderful,  that  all  the  Wicked  think 
themfelves  powerful,  and  that  all  the  Good  think 
themfelves  not  powerful  j  the  Reafon  is,  becaufe  the 
Wicked  attribute  every  Thing  to  Self-derived  Pru- 
dence, and  therefore  to  Cunning  and  Malice,  and 
Nothing  to  the  Lord  ;  but  the  Good  attribute  Noth- 
ing to  Self-derived  Prudence,  but  every  Thing  to  the 
Lord,  who  is  Omnipotent.  Another  Reafon  why 
Evil  and  its  attendant  Falfe  are  not  any  Thing,  is, 
becaufe  they  have  Nothing  of  fpiritual  Life ;  and ' 
this  is  the  Reafon  why  the  Life  of  the  Infernals  is 
not  called  Life  but  Death,  wherefore  fmce  every 
Something  appertaineth  to  Life,  Death  cannot  have 
any  Thing  appertaining  to  it. 

20.  They  who  are  at  the  fame  Time  in  Evil  and 
in  Truths,  may  be  compared  to  Eagles  foaring  aloft, 
which,  when  their  Wings  are  taken  away,  fall  down  t 

For . 


The  Divine  Providence.         6i 

For  Men  do  the  fame  after  Death,  when  they  be- 
come  Sph"its ;  they  who  underflood  Truths,  fpake 
them,  and  taught  them,  and  yet  had  no  Regard  to 
God  in  their  Life,  fuch  by  their  Intelleduals  elevate 
themfelves  on  high,  and  fometimes  enter  Heaven,  and 
feign  themfelves  Angels  of  Light ;  but  when  Truths 
are  taken  away  from  them,  and  they  are  fent  forth, 
they  fall  down  into  Hell.  Eagles  alfo  fignify  Men 
of  Rapine,  who  have  intelleftual  Sight,  and  Wings 
Signify  fpiritual  Truths.  It  was  faid,  that  they  are 
fuch,  who  had  no  Refped  to  God  in  their  Life  ;  by 
having  Refpecl  to  God  in  their  Life,  is  meant  Noth- 
ing elfe  but  to  think  this  or  that  Evil  a  Sin  againft 
God,  and  therefore  not  to  do  it.  , 

21.  IX.  That  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord 
caufeth  Evil  and  its  attendant  Falfe  tofervefor  Equi- 
libriu?n^  Relation^  and  Furijication^  and  thereby  for  the 
Conjunction  of  Good  and  Truth  in  others.  From  the 
foregoing  Gonfiderations  it  may  appear,  that  the 
Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord  continually  operateth, 
that  in  Man  Truth  may  be  united  to  Good  and 
Good  to  Truth,  by  Reafon  that  this  Union  is  the 
Church  and  is  Heaven  ;  for  this  Union  is  in  the 
Lord,  and  it  is  in  every  Thing  that  proceedeth  from 
the  Lord  :  From  this  Union  it  is,  that  Heaven  is 
called  a  Marriage,  and  alfo  the  Church,  wherefore 
the  Kingdom  of  God  in  the  Word  is  likened  to  a 
Marriage:  From  this  Union  it  is,  that  the  Sabbath 
in  the  Ifraelitifh  Church  was  the  mofl  holy  Part  of 
Worfliip,  for  it  fignified  this  Union  :  Hence  alfo  it  is, 
that  in  the  Word,  and  in  all  and  every  Thing  there- 
in, there  is  a  Marriage  of  Good  and  Truth,  on  which 
iiubjeci:  fee  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerufalem  con- 


62    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

cerning  The  Sacred  Scripture,  n.  80  to  90; 
the  Marriage  of  Good  and  Truth  is  from  the  Mar* 
riage  of  the  Lord  with  the  Church,  and  the  latter 
from  the  Marriage  of  Love  and  Wifdom  in  the  Lord, 
for  Good  is  of  Love,  and  Truth  is  of  Wifdom. 
Hence  it  may  be  feen,  that  it  is  the  perpetual  Object 
of  the  Divine  Providence,  to  unite  in  Man  Good  to 
Truth  and  Truth  to  Good,  for  fo  Man  is  united  to 
the  Lord. 

22.  But  whereas  many  have  broken  and  do  break 
this  Marriage,  efpecially  by  the  Separation  of  Faith 
from  Charity,  and  thereby  conjoin  in  themfelves 
Evil  and  the  Falfe,  and  thus  have  become,  and  do 
become  oppofite,  it  is  provided  of  the  Lord  that  thefe 
neverthelefs  may  ferve  for  the  Conjunction  of  Good 
and  Truth  in  others,  by  Equilibrium,  by  Relation, 
and  by  Purification. 

23.  The  Conjunction  of  Good  and  Truth  in  oth- 
ers is  provided  for  of  the  Lord  by  Equilibrium  be- 
tween Heaven  and  Hell ;  for  from  Hell  continually 
exhales  Evil  and  its  concomitant  Falfe,  but  from 
Heaven  continually  exhales  Good  and  its  concom- 
itant Truth  ;  every  Man  is  kept  in  this  Equilibrium, 
fo  long  as  he  liveth  in  the  World,  and  thereby  in 
the  Liberty  of  thinking,  willing,  fpeaking,  and  act- 
ing, in  which  he  may  be  reformed.  Concerning 
this  fpiritual  Equilibrium,  from  which  is  derived 
the  Liberty  of  Man,  fee  the  Work  on  Heaven  and 
Hell,  n.  589  to  596,  and  n.  597  to  603. 

24.  The  Conjundion  of  Good  and  Truth  is  pro- 
vided for  of  the  Lord  by  Relation  ;  for  Good  is 
not  known  as  to  its  Qviality,  but  by  Relation  to 
what  is  lefs  good,  and  by  Oppofition  to  Evil ;  all 

the 


The  Divine  Providence,  6;^ 

the  perceptive  and  fenfitive  Principle  is  thence  deri- 
ved, becaufe  their  Quality  is  thence  ;  for  thus  all  De- 
light is  perceived  and  felt  from  what  is  lefs  delight- 
ful, and  by  what  is  difagreeable ;  all  Beauty  from 
what  is  lefs  beautiful,  and  by  what  is  ugly ;  in  like 
Manner  all  Good  which  is  of  Love  from  what  is  lefs 
good,  and  by  Evil ;  and  all  Truth  which  is  of  Wif- 
dom  from  what  is  lefs  true,  and  by  what  is  falfe : 
There  mufl  be  Variety  in  every  Thing  from  its 
greateft  to  its  leafl,  and  when  there  is  Variety  alfo 
in  its  Oppofite  from  its  lead  to  its  greateft,  and 
Equilibrium  intercedeth,  then  according  to  the  De- 
grees on  both  Sides  Relation  is  eftablifhed,  and  the 
Perception  and  Senfation  of  the  Thing  either  in- 
creafeth  or  is  diminiihed.  But  it  is  to  be  noted,  that 
what  is  oppofite  taketh  away,  and  alfo  exalteth  Per- 
ceptions and  Senfations ;  it  taketh  them  away  when 
it  mixeth  itfelf,  and  exalteth  them  when  it  doth  not 
mix  itfelf,  for  which  Reafon  the  Lord  exquifitely 
feparateth  Good  and  Evil,  left  they  fhouldbe  mixed, 
in  Man,  as  he  feparateth  Heaven  and  Hell. 

25.  The  Conjundion  of  Good  and  Truth  in  oth- 
ers is  provided  for  of  the  Lord  by  Purification, 
which  is  done  two  Ways,  one  by  Temptations,  and 
the  other  by  Fermentations.  Spiritual  Temptations 
are  no  other  than  Combats  againft  Evils  and 
Falfes,  which  are  exhaled  from  Hell  and  afFed  ; 
by  them  Man  is  purified  from  Evils  and  Falfes, 
and  in  him  Good  is  joined  to  Truth,  and  Truth  to 
Good.  Spiritual  Fermentations  are  effedled  many 
Ways,  as  well  in  the  Heavens  as  in  the  Earths ;  but 
in  the  World  it  is  not  known  what  they  are,  and 
how  they  are  effected  :  For  they  are  Evils  and  at  the 

fame 


64    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

fame  Time  Falfes,  which  being  let  in  upon  Societies 
a6l  like  Ferments  put  into  Meal  and  fermentable  Li* 
quors,  whereby  heterogeneous  Things  are  feparated, 
and  Things  homogeneous  are  conjoined,  and  be- 
come pure  and  clarified  :  Thefe  are  what  are  under- 
flood  by  thefe  Words  of  the  Lord,  "  The  Kingdom 
of  Heaven  is  like  unto  Leaven^  which  a  Woman  took  and 
hid  in  three  Meafures  of  Meal^  till  the  Whole  wai 
leavened^^  Matt.  xiii.  ^^  Luke  xiii.  21. 

26.  Thefe  Ufes  are  provided  by  the  Lord  from 
the  Conjundion  of  Evil  and  the  Falfe  Principle, 
which  is  in  thofe  who  are  in  Hell ;  for  the  Kingdom 
of  the  Lord,  which  is  not  only  over  Heaven,  but 
alfo  over  Hell,  is  a  Kingdom  of  Ufes  ;  and  it  is  the 
Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord,  that  there  Ihould 
not  be  there  any  Perfon  or  any  Thing,  from  which 
and  by  which  Ufe  is  not  performed. 


-»»5*»^><^^^><-«^- 


That  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord 
hath  for  its  End  an  Heaven  out  of 
the  Hu7nan  Race. 

iy.  nr'H AT  Heaven  is  not  from  any  Angels  cre- 
X  ated  fuch  from  the  Beginiling,  and  that 
Hell  is  not  from  any  Devil,  who  was  created  an  An- 
gel of  Light,  and  cad  out  from  Heaven,  but  that 
Heaven  and  Hell  are  from  the  Human  Race,  Heav- 
en from  thofe  who  are  in  the  Love  of  Good  and 
thence  in  the  Underllanding  of  Truth,  and  Hell 
from  thofe  who  are  in  the  Love  of  Evil  and  thence 

in 


Thje  Divine  Providencit.  6^ 

m  the  Under ftandlng  of  what  Is  Falfe,  hath  been 
made  known  and  proved  to  me  by  a  long  Intercourfe 
with  Angels  and  Spirits ;  concerning  which  fee  al- 
fo  what  is'lhewn  in  the  Work  on  Heaven  and 
Hell,  n.  311  to  316;  alfo  in  the  Tracl  on  The 
Last  Judgment,  n.  14  to  27  ;  and  in  the  Contin- 
uation CONCERNING  THE  LaST  JUDGMENT    AND 

THE  Spiritual  World,  from  Beginning  to  End, 
Now  forafmuch  as  Heaven  is  from  the  Human  Race, 
and  Heaven  is  Cohabitation  with  the  Lord  to  Eter- 
nity, it  follows  that  that  was  the  Lord's  End  of  Cre- 
ation, and  forafmuch  as  it  was  the  End  of  Creation, 
it  is  the  End  of  his  Divine  Providence  :  The  Lord 
did  not  create  the  Univerfe  for  his  own  Sake,  but 
for  the  Sake  of  thofe  with  whom  he  will  dwell  in 
Heaven  ;  for  fpirltual  Love  is  fuch,  th?>t  It  wlflieth  to 
give  what  it  hath  to  another,  and  in  Proportion  as 
it  can  do  this,  It  Is  in  its  EJ/ey  in  its  Peace,  and  in  its 
BlelTednefs ;  this  Property  fpirltual  Love  deriveth 
from  the  Divine  Love  of  the  Lord,  which  is  infi- 
nitely fuch  :  Hence  it  follows,  that  the  Divine  Love 
and  confequently  the  Divine  Providence  hath  for 
its  End  an  Heaven,  which  may  confift  of  Men  made 
Angels,  and  who  are  making  fuch,  to  whom  the 
Lord  can  give  all  the  Beatitudes  and  Felicities  which 
are  of  Love  and  Wifdom,  and  give  them  out  of  Hlm- 
felf  in  them  ;  nor  can  he  do  otherwdfe,  becaufe  his 
Image  and  Likenefs  from  Creation  is  in  them,  his 
Image  in  them  is  Wifdom,  and  his  Likenefs  in  them 
is  Love,  and  the  Lord  In  them  is  Love  united  to 
Wifdom  and  Wifdom  united  to  Love,  or  what  is 
the  fame,  he  is  Good  united  to  Truth,  and  Truth 
united  to  Good  ;  which  Union  was  treated  of  in 
I  the 


66    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

tbe  preceding  Article.  But  forafmuch  as  it  is  not 
known  what  Heaven  is  in  general,  or  in  many,  and 
what  Heaven  is  in  particular,  or  in  one ;  alfo  what 
Heaven  is  in  the  fplritual  World,  and  what  Heaven  is 
in  the  natural  World,  and  never thelefs  it  is  of  Impor- 
tance to  know  this,  becaufe  it  is  the  End  of  the  Di- 
vine Providence,  therefore  I  am  defirous  to  place 
this  Subjed  in  fome  Degree  of  Light  in  the  follow- 
ing Order.  L  That  Heaven  is  Conjun£l:ion  whh 
the  Lord.  IL  That  Man  by  Creation  is  fuch,  that 
he  can  be  nearer  and  nearer  conjoined  to  the  Lord. 
IlL  That  Man,  in  Proportion  as  he  is  more  nearly 
conjoined  to  the  Lord,  in  the  fame  Proportion  be* 
Cometh  wifer.  IV.  That  Man,  in  Proportion  as  he 
is  miore  nearly  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  in  the  fame 
Proportion  becomcth  happier.  V.  That  Man,  ia 
Proportion  as  he  is  more  nearly  conjoined  to  the 
Lord,  in  the  fame  Proportion  appeareth  to  himfelf 
more  diilindly  to  be  his  own,  and  perceiveth  more 
evidently  that  he  is  the  Lord's, 

28.  L  TJj at  Heaven  is  CoiyunBion  wit/j  the  Lord  : 
Heaven  is  not  Heaven  from  the  Angels,  but  from 
the  Lord,  for  the  Love  and  Wifdom,  in  which  the 
Angels  are,  and  which  conflitute  Heaven,  are  not 
from  them,  but  from  the  Lord,  yea,  they  are  the 
Lord  in  them  :  And  whereas  Love  and  Wifdom  are 
of  the  Lord,  and  are  the  Lord  in  Heaven,  and  Love 
and  Wifdom  conflitutes  the  Life  of  the  Angels,  it  is 
evident  that  their  Life  is  of  the  Lord,  yea,  that  it  is 
the  Lord  ;  that  they  live  from  the  Lord,  the  Angela 
themfelves  confefs  ;  hence  it  may  appear  that  Heav- 
en is  Conjunftion  with  the  Lord.  But  whereas  va-- 
rious  Conjundion  is  given  with  the  Lord,  and  con- 

fequently 


The  Divine  Providence.  67 

fequemly  one  hath  not  the  fame  Heaven  as  another, 
it  alfo  follows,  that  Heaven  is  according  to  Con- 
jundion  with  the  Lord  ;  that  there  is  a  nearer  and 
nearer  Conjundion,  alfo  one  more  and  more  remote^ 
■will  be  feen  in  the  following  Article.  In  the  pref- 
cnt  Article  we  fliall  fpeak  of  that  Conjundion  how 
it  is  effeded,  and  what  it  is :  There  is  a  Conjundion 
of  the  Lord  with  the  Angels,  and  of  the  Angels  with 
the  Lord,  and  thus  a  reciprocal  Conjundion  ;  The 
Lord  floweth  into  the  Life's  Love  of  the  Angels,  and 
the  Angels  receive  the  Lord  in  Wifdom,  and  by  this 
in  their  Turn  conjoin  themfelves  to  the  Lord.  But 
it  is  well  to  be  attended  to,  that  it  appears  to  the 
Angels  as  if  they  conjoined  themfelves  to  the  Lord 
by  Wifdom,  but  yet  the  Lord  conjoineth  them  by 
Wifdom  to  himfelf  j  for  their  Wifdom  is  alfo  from 
the  Lord  :  It  is  the  fame  if  it  is  faid,  that  the  Lord 
conjoineth  himfelf  to  the  Angels  by  Good,  and  that 
the  Angels  in  their  Turn  conjoin  themfelves  to  the 
Lord  by  Truth,  for  all  Good  is  of  Love,  and  all 
Truth  is  of  Wifdom.  But  forafmuch  as  this  recip< 
rocal  Conjundion  is  an  Arcanum,  which  few  can  un- 
derlland  unlefs  it  be  explained,  I  will  unfold  it,  fo  far 
as  it  can  be  done,  by  fuch  Things  as  are  adequate 
to  the  Comprehenfion  :  In  the  Treatife  concerning 
The  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom, 
n.  404,  405,  it  is  (hewn  how  Love  conjoineth  itfelf 
to  Wifdom,  viz.  by  the  Aifedion  of  knowing,  from 
which  is  derived  the  Affedion  of  Truth,  and  by  the 
Affedion  of  Underftanding,  from  which  is  derived 
the  Perception  of  Truth,  and  by  the  Affedion  of 
feeing  that  which  is  known  and  underftood,  from 
which  is  derived  Thought; :  The  Lord  floweth  into 

all 


68      Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

all  thefe  Affections,  for  they  are  Derivations  from 
the  Life's  Love  of  every  one,  and  the  Angels  re- 
ceive that  Influx  in  the  Perception  of  Truth,  and  in 
Thought,  for  in  thefe  the  Influx  appears  to  them, 
but  not  in  the  Aifections  ;  now  forafmuch  as  Per- 
ceptions and  Thoughts  appear  to  the  Angels  as  if 
they  were  their  own,  when  neverthelefs  they  are 
from  Afledions,  which  are  from  the  Lord,  there- 
fore there  is  that  Appearance,  that  the  Angels  recip- 
rocally conjoin  themfelves  to  the  Lord^  when  never- 
thelefs the  Lord  conjoineth  them  to  himfelf,  for  Af- 
fedtion  itfelf  produceth  them,  Afleclion  which  is  of 
Love  being  the  Soul  of  them  ;  for  no  one  can  per- 
ceive and  think  any  Thing  without  Affedion,  and 
every  one  perceiveth  and  thinketh  according  to  Af- 
fedion ;  hence  it  is  evident,  that  the  reciprocal 
Conjundion  of  the  Angels  with  the  Lord  is  not 
from  them,  but  feems  as  if  from  them.  Such  a 
Conjundion  alfo  the  Lord  hath  with  the  Church, 
and  the  Church  with  the  Lord,  which  is  called  the 
celefliial  and  fpiritual  Marriage. 

29.  All  Conjundion  in  the  fpiritual  World  Is  ef- 
feded  by  Infpedion  ;  when  any  one  there  thinks  of 
another  from  the  AflJedlon  of  fpeaking  with  him, 
the  other  immediately  becomes  prefent,  and  one 
fees  the  other  Face  to  Face  ;  the  fame  Thing  hap- 
pens when  any  one  thinketh  of  another  from  the 
AflFedion  of  Love,  but  by  this  Alfedion  Conjundion 
is  produced,  whereas  by  the  other  Prefence  only  : 
This  is  peculiar  to  the  fpiritual  World  ;  the  Reafon 
is,  becaufe  all  there  are  fpiritual,  not  fo  in  the  natu- 
ral World  in  which  all  are  material ;  in  the  natural 
World  the  fame  takes  Place  with  Men  in  tiie  Affec- 
tions 


The  Divine  Providence.         69 

tions^  and  Thoughts  of  their  Spirit ;  but  whereas  in 
the  natural  World  there  are  Spaces,  but  in  the  fpi- 
ritual  World  Spaces  are  only  Appearances,  therefore 
in  the  latter  World  that  is  efFeded  a£lually,  which 
hath  Place  in  the  Thought  of  any  Spirit.  This  In- 
formation is  given  in  Order  that  it  may  be  known 
how  the  Conjundlion  of  the  Lord  with  the  Angels  is 
effected,  and  the  apparent  reciprocal  Conjunclion  of 
the  Angels  with  the  Lord  ;  for  all  the  Angels  turn 
their  Faces  to  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  looketh  at 
them  in  the  Forehead,  and  the  Angels  look  at  the 
Lord's  Eyes,  the  Reaibn  is,  becaufe  the  Forehead 
correfpondeth  to  Love  and  its  AfFcclions,  and  the 
Eyes  correfpond  to  Wifdom  and  its  Perceptions : 
Neverthelefs  the  Angels  from  themfelves  do  not 
turn  their  Faces  to  the  Lord,-  but  the  Lord  turneth 
them  to  himfelf,  and  turneth  them  by  Influx  into 
their  Life's  Love,  and  by  it  entereth  into  their 
Perceptions  and  Thoughts,  and  fo  converteth  them. 
Such  a  Circulation  of  the  Love  to  the  Thought?, 
and  from  the  Thoughts  to  the  Love  from  Love, 
hath  Place  in  all  the  human  Mind ;  which  Cir- 
culation or  Circle  may  be  called  the  Circle  of 
Life.  On  this  Subjed  fee  fome  Things  alfo  in 
the  Treatife  on  The  Divine  Love  and  the  Di- 
vine Wisdom  ;  as  that  the  Angels  conftantly  tura 
their  Faces  to  the  Lord  as  the  Sun,  n.  129  to  134. 
That  all  the  Interiors  as  well  of  the  Minds  as  of  the 
Bodies  of  Angels,  are  in  like  Manner  turned  to  the 
Lord  as  a  Sun,  n.  135  to  139.  That  every  Spirit 
whatfoever  in  like  Manner  turns  himfelf  to  his  ru- 
hng  Love,  n.  140  to  145.  That  Love  joins  itfelf  to 
Wifdom,  and  caufeth  Wifdom  to  be  reciprocally  • 

joined 


yo    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

joined  to  it,  n.  4 1  o  to  4 1 2.  That  the  Angels  are  la 
the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  in  them  :  And  forafmuch 
as  the  Angels  are  Recipients,  that  the  Lord  alone  is 
Heaven,   n.  113  to  118. 

30.  The  Lord's  Hfeaven  in  the  natural  World  is 
called  the  Church,  and  an  Angel  of  this  Heaven  ij 
a  Man  of  the  Church  who  is  conjoined  to  the  Lord^ 
who  alfo,  after  his  Departure  out  of  the  World,  be* 
Cometh  an  Angel  of  the  fpiritual  Heaven  :  Hence  it 
is  evident,  that  the  fame  which  is  faid  of  the  angelic 
Heaven,  is  to  be  underflood  of  the  human  Heaven, 
which  is  called  the  Church.  This  reciprocal  Con- 
jundtion  with  the  Lord,  which  conflitutes  Heaven  in 
Man,  is  revealed  by  the  Lord  in  thefe  Words  in  John, 
^'  Abide  in  Me,  and  I  in  you  ;  h^  that  ahldeth  in  Me^ 
and  I  in  him^  the  fame  hringeth  forth  much  fruit  /  fop 
^without  Me  ye  can  do  l^othing^^  xv.  4,  5,  y^ 

3 1 .  Hence  it  may  appear,  that  the  Lord  is  Heav* 
en,  not  only  in  common  to  all  in  Heaven,  but  alfo 
in  particular  to  each  Individual  there  j  for  every 
Angel  is  a  Heaven  in  its  leait  Form  ;  and  from  as 
many  Heavens  as  there  are  Angels,  Heaven  in  com^ 
mon  exifls ;  that  this  is  the  Cafe  may  be  feen  in  the 
Work  on  Heaven  and  Hell,  n.  51  to  ^%,  Let  not 
then  any  one  cherifh  this  Error,  which  enters  into  the 
firfl  Thoughts  of  many  that  the  Lord  is  in  Heaven 
among  the  Angels,  or  that  he  is  with  them,  as  a  King 
is  in  his  Kingdom  ;  he  is  above  them  as  to  Sight  in 
the  Sun  there,  but  as  to  their  Life  of  Love  and  Wifc 
dom  he  is  in  them. 

32.  IL  That  Man  by  Creation  is  fuch^  that  he  can 
he  nearer  and  nearer  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  may  ap» 
pear  from  what  is  fhewn  concerning  Degrees,  in  the 

Treatife 


The  Divine  Providence,         ^t 

Treatlfe  on  Th-  Divine  Love  and  the  Divins 
"Wisdom,  Part  the  Third,  particularly  from  the  fol- 
lowing Articles  :  That  there  are  three  difcrete  De- 
grees, or  Degrees  of  Altitude,  in  Man  by  Creation^ 
n.  230  to  235.  That  thefe  three  Degrees  are  in 
every  Man  by  Birth,  and  that  as  they  are  opened, 
Man  is  in  the  Lord  and  the  Lord  in  him,  n.  236  to 
241.  And  that  all  Perfe6lions  increafe  and  afcend 
tvith  Degrees,  and  according  to  them,  n.  299  to 
204  :  From  which  it  is  evident,  that  Man  is  fuch  by 
Creation,  that  by  Degrees  he  can  be  nearer  and 
Hearer  conjoined  to  the  Lord.  But  it  is  well  to  be 
underftood,  what  Degrees  are,  and  that  they  are  of 
two  Kinds,  difcrete  Degrees,  or  Degrees  of  Altitude, 
and  continuous  Degrees,  or  Degrees  of  Latitude, 
and  what  the  Difference  is  between  them  ;  alfo  that 
every  Man  by  Creation,  and  thence  by  Birth,  hath 
three  difcrete  Degrees  or  Degrees  of  Altitude,  and 
that  Man  cometh  into  the  firfl  Degree,  which  is  call- 
ed the  natural  Degree,  when  he  is  born,  and  that 
he  can  increafe  this  Degree  in  himfclf  by  Continuity, 
till  he  becometh  rational ;  and  that  he  cometh  into 
the  fecond,  which  is  called  the  fpiritual  Degree,  if 
he  liveth  according  to  the  Laws  of  fpiritual  Order, 
which  are  Divine  Truths  ;  and  that  he  may  alfo 
come  into  the  third  or  celellial  Degree,  if  he  liv- 
eth according  to  the  Laws  of  celeftial  Order,  which 
are  Divine  Goods.  Thefe  Degrees  are  opened  in 
Man  by  the  Lord  according  to  his  Life  in  the  World 
actually,  but  not  perceptibly  and  fenfibly  till  after 
his  Departure  out  of  the  World  ;  and  as  they  are 
opened  and  afterwards  perfected,  fo  Man  is  nearer 
and  nearer  conjoined  to  the  Lord.  This  Conjunc- 
tion 


^2    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

ticn  by  nearer  Approach  may  be  increafed  to  Eter-» 
nity,  and  alio  is  increafed  in  the  Angels  to  Eternity  j 
but  ilill  an  Angei  cannot  arrive  at  the  firfl  Degree 
of  the  Lord's  Love  and  Wifdom,  or  attain  it,  be- 
caufe  the  Lord  is  infinite,  and  an  Angel  is  finite, 
and  there  is  no  Proportion  between  Infinite  and 
i^inite.  Forafmuch  as  no  one  can  underftand  the 
State  of  Man,  and  the  State  of  his  Elevation  and 
Approximation  to  the  Lord,  except  he  knoweth 
thefe  Degrees,  therefore  they  aie  particularly  treat- 
ed of  in  the  Treatife  on  The  Divine  Love  and 
THE  Divine  Wisdom,  from  n.  173  to  281  j  which 
fee. 

^^.  We  fhall  briefly  fhew  how  Man  can  be  nearj 
er  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  and  then  how  that  Con- 
]un£lion  appears  nearer  and  nearer.  How  Man  is 
nearer  and  nearer  conjoined  to  the  Lord  ;  this  is  done 
not  by  Science  alone,  nor  by  Intelligence  alone,  vea 
neither  by  Wifdoni  alone,  but  by  a  Life  conjoined 
to  them  :  The  Life  of  Man  is  his  Love,  aiid  Love  is 
manifold  ;  in  general  there  is  a  Love  of  Evil  and  a 
Love  of  Good  ;  the  Love  of  Evil  is  the  Love  of  A^ 
dukery, Revenge,  Fraud,  Blafphemy,  and  of  depriving 
others  of  their  Goods  ;  the  Love  of  Evil  in  thinking 
and  in  doing  thefe  feels  Pleafure  and  Delight ;  the 
Derivations,  which  are  Affections  of  this  Love,  arc 
as  many  as  there  are  Evils  to  which  it  hath  deter- 
mined itfelf ;  and  the  Perceptions  and  Thoughts  of 
this  Love,  are  as  many  as  there  are  Falfes  which  fa- 
vour thofe  Evils  and  confirm  them :  Thefe  Falfes 
make  one  with  the  Evils,  as  the  Underflanding 
maketh  one  with  the  Will,  and  they  are  not  fepa- 
rated  from  each  other,  becaufe  one  is  of  the  other. 

Now 


The  Divine  pRovtDfiNci:.  73 

Now  forafaiuch  as  the  Lord  fioweth  into  the  Life's 
Love  of  every  one,  and  by  his  Affoclions  into  his 
Perceptions  and  Thoughts,  and  not  vke^^erfa^  as 
was  faid  above,  it  follows  that  he  cannot  conjoin 
himfelf  nearer,  than  as  the  Love  of  Evil  v/ith  its 
Affections,  which  are  Luffs,  is  removed  5  and  foraf- 
much  as  thefe  refide  in  the  natural  Man,  and  Man, 
whatfoever  he  doeth  from  the  natural  Man,  feeleth 
as  if  he  aQed  from  himfelf,  therefore  Man  ought  as 
from  himfelf  to  remove  the  Evils  of  that  Love,  and 
then  in  Proportion  as  he  removeth  them,  in  the  fame 
Proportion  the  Lord  approacheth  nearer,  and  join- 
eth  himfelf  to  him  :  Any  one  may  fee  from  Reafon 
that  Lufls  with  their  Delights  oblfrudt  and  Ihut  the 
Door  againd  the  Lord,  and  that  they  cannot  be  cad 
cut  by  the  Lord,  fo  long  as  Man  himfelf  keepeth 
the  Door  fliut,  and  prefleth  from  without  and  pre- 
venteth  it  from  being  opened  :  That  Man  himfelf 
ought  to  open  it,  is  evident  frorn  the  Lord's  Words 
in  the  Revelation,  *'  Behold  If  and  at  the  Door  and 
knock  ;  if  any  Man  hear  my  Voice ^  and  open  the  Door^ 
I  will  come  in  to  him,  and  will  f up  with  him,  and  he 
*with  Me,**  iii.  20.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  in  Pro- 
portion as  any  one  fhunneth  Evils  as  diabolical,  and 
■as  Obftacles  to  the  Lord's  Entrance,  in  the  fame 
Proportion  he  is  more  and  more  nearly  conjoined  to 
the  Lord,  and  he  the  mod  nearly,  who  abominates 
them  as  fo  many  black  and  fiery  Devils,  for  Evil  and 
the  Devil  are  one  ;  and  the  Falfe  of  Evil  and  Satan 
are  one ;  becaufe  as  the  Influx  of  the  Lord  is  into  the 
Love  of  Good  and  its  Affections,  and  by  thefe  into 
the  Perceptions  and  Thoughts,  all  which  derive  from 
the  Good,  in  which  a  Man  is  principled,  that  they 
K  are 


74    Angelic  Wisdom  goncernincj 

are  Truths,  fo  the  Infiux  of  the  Devil,  that  is,  cf 
Hell,  is  into  the  Love  of  Evil  and  its  AfFeQions, 
which  are  Lufls,  and  by  thefe  into  the  Perceptions 
and  Thoughts,  all  which  derive  from  the  Evil  in 
which  a  Man  is  principled,  that  they  are  Falfes; 
Hozu  that  Conjundion  appears  nearer  and  nearer  ;  in 
Proportion  as  Evils  are  removed  in  the  natural  Man 
by  fhunning  and  turning  away  from  them,  in  the 
fame  Proportion  Man  is  nearer  conjoined  to  the 
Lord :  And  whereas  Love  and  Wifdom,  which  are 
the  Ix)rd  himfelf,  are  not  in  Space,  for  Affedion 
which  is  of  Love,  and  Thought  which  is  of  Wifdom, 
have  Nothing  in  common  with  Space,  therefore  the 
Lord  according  to  Conjunction  by  Love  and  Wif- 
dom appeareth  nearer  5  and  on  the  contrary  accord- 
ing to  the  Rejedion  of  Love  and  Wifdom  more 
remote  :  Space  doth  not  exifl  in  the  fpiritual  World, 
but  in  that  World  Diftances  and  Prefence  are  Ap- 
pearancesjiccording  to  Similitudes  and  DifTmiilitudes 
of  Affections,  for,  as  was  faid,  AfFe6tions  which  are 
of  Love,  and  Thoughts  which  are  of  Wifdom.,  and 
in  themfelves  fpiritual,  are  not  in  Space  j  on  which 
Subjed  fee  what  is  fliewn  in  the  Treatife  on  The 
Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  7  to 
10,  and  n.  69  to  72,  and  elfewhere.  The  Conjunc- 
tion of  the  Lord  with  Man,  in  whom  Evils  are  re- 
moved, is  underflood  by  thefe  Words  of  the  Lord, 
"  The  pure  in  Heart  JJoall  fee  God;'  Matt.  v.  8.  And 
by  thefe,  "  He  that  bath  my  Commandments^  a7id  keep^ 
etb  thern^  I  zvill  make  my  Abode  with  hi?n  ;"  to  hav^ 
his  Commandments  is  to  know  them,  and  to  keep 
his  Commandments  is  to  love  them,  for  it  is  alfo 

faid 


The  Divine  Providence.         75 

faid  there,  he  who  keepeth  my  Commandments y  he  it  is 
who  loveth  Me, 

34.  III.  That  Man^  in  Proportion  as  he  is  more 
hearly  conjoined  to  the  Lordy  in  the  fame  Proportion  he- 
Cometh  ivifcr,  Forafmuch  as  there  are  three  Degrees 
of  Life  in  Man  by  Creation,  and  thence  by  Nativity, 
of  which  above,  n.  32,  there  are  efpecially  three 
Degrees  of  Wifdom  in  him  ;  thefe  are  the  Degrees 
which  are  opened  in  Man  according  to  Conjundion  5 
they  are  opened  according  to  Love,  for  Love  is  Con- 
jundion  itfelf :  But  the  Afcent  of  Love  according  to 
Degrees  is  not  perceived  except  obfcurely  by  Man, 
whereas  the  Afcent  of  Wifdom  is  clearly  perceived  in 
thofe  who  know  and  fee  what  Wifdom  is.  The  Rea- 
fon  why  the  Degrees  of  Wifdom  are  perceived,  is  be-, 
caufe  Love  entereth  by  the  AfFedions  into  the  Per- 
ceptions and  Thoughts,  and  thefe  (liew  themfelves 
in  the  internal  Sight  of  the  Mind,  which  correfponds 
to  the  external  Sight  of  the  Body  ;  hence  it  is  that 
Wifdom  appeareth,  and  not  fo  the  Affedion  of  Love 
which  produceth  it ;  The  Cafe  is  the  fame  with  all 
Things  which  are  done  actually  by  Man  ;  it  is  per- 
ceived how  the  Body  operates  them,  but  not  how 
the  Soul  does ;  fo  alfo  it  is  perceived  how  a  Man 
meditates,  perceives,  and  thinks,  but  not  how  the 
Soul  of  thefe,  which  is  the  Affection  of  Good  and 
Truth,  produceth  them.  But  there  are  three  De- 
grees of  Wifdom,  the  natural,  fpiritual,  and  celef. 
tial ;  Man  is  in  the  natural  Degree  of  Wifdom  while 
he  liveth  in  the  World ;  this  Degree  then  can  be 
perfected  in  him  to  its  Height,  and  yet  he  cannot 
enter  into  the  fpiritual  Degree,  becaufe  this  Degree 
is  not  continued  from  the  natural  Degree  by  Conti- 

nuity^ 


^6    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

nuity,  but  is  joined  to  it  by  Correfpondences :  Man 
is  in  the  fpiritiial  Degree  of  Wifdom  afcer  Death, 
and  this  Degree  alfo  is  fuch,  that  it  can  be  perfed- 
ed  to  its  Height,  but  yet  cannot  enter  the  celeftial 
Degree  of  Wifdom,  bccaufe  neither  is  this  Degree 
continued  from  the  fpiritual  by  Continuity,  but  is 
joined  to  it  by  Correfpondences :  Hence  it  may  ap- 
pear, that  Wifdom  can  be  elevated  in  a  triplicate 
Ratio,  and  that  in  each  Degree  it  can  be  perfeded 
in  a  fimple  Ratio  to  its  Height.  He  who  compre^ 
hendeth  the  Elevations  and  Perfections  of  thefe  De* 
grees,  can  in  fome  Meafure  perceive  that,  which  i? 
faid  of  Angelic  Wifdom,  that  it  is  ineffable  ;  this  al* 
fo  is  fo  ineffable,  that  a  thoufand  Ideas  of  Thought 
of  the  Angels  from  their  Wifdom  cannot  prefent 
more  than  one  Idea  of  the  1  bought  of  Men  from 
their  Wifdom ;  thus  999  Ideas  of  the  Thought  of 
Angels  cannot  enter,  for  they  are  fupernatural : 
That  this  is  the  Cafe,  hath  been  given  me  often  to 
know  by  lively  Experience.  But,  as  was  faid  be- 
fore, no  one  can  come  into  that  ineffable  Wifdom 
of  the  Angels,  but  by  Conjunftion  with  the  Lord, 
and  according  to  it,  for  the  Lord  only  openeth  the 
fpiritual  Degree  and  the  celeflial  Degree,  but  only 
in  thofe  who  are  wife  from  him  ;  and  they  are  wife 
from  the  Lord,  who  cafl  out  the  Devil,  that  is,  Evil 
from  themfelves. 

35.  But  let  not  any  one  believe,  that  a  Perfon 
hath  Wifdom  becaufe  he  knoweth  many  Things, 
and  perceiveth  them  in  a  certain  Light,  and  can 
fpeak  them  intelligently,  unlefs  this  be  conjoined  to 
Love ;  for  Love  by  its  Affe6lions  produceth  it ;  if 
}i  is  not  conjoined  to  Love,  it  is  like  a  Meteor  in  the 

Air 


The  Divine  Providence.         77 

Air  which  vanilheth,  and  like  a  falling  Star ;  but 
Wifdom  conjoined  to  Love  is  like  the  permanent 
Light  of  the  Sun,  and  like  a  fixed  Star :  Man  hath 
the  Love  of  Wifdom,  in  Proportion  as  he  hath  an 
Averfion  to  the  diaboHcal  Crew,  which  are  the  Con- 
cupifcences  of  Evil  and  the  Falfe. 

36.  Wifdom,  which  cometh  to  Perception,  is  the 
Perception  of  Truth  from  the  Affeftion  thereof,  ef- 
pecially  the  Perception  of  fpiritual  Truth  ;  for  there 
is  civil  Truth,  moral  Truth,  and  fpiritual  Truth ; 
they  who  are  in  the  Perception  of  fpiritual  Truth 
from  the  Affed:ion  thereof,  are  alfo  in  the  Percep- 
tion of  moral  and  civil  Truth,  for  the  Affedion  of 
fpiritual  Truth  is  the  foul  of  them.  I  have  fome^ 
times  difcourfed  with  the  Angels  concerning  Wif- 
dom, who  faid,  that  Wifdom  is  Conjunction  with 
the  Lord,  becaufe  the  Lord  is  Wifdom  itfelf,  and 
that  he  cometh  into  that  Conjunction  who  rejedeth 
Hell  from  himfelf,  and  cometh  into  it  in  the  fame 
Proportion  as  he  rejecteth  Hell :  They  faid  that  they 
reprefented  to  themfelves  Wifdom  as  a  magnificent 
and  highly  adorned  Palace,  to  which  there  is  an  Af- 
cent  by  twelve  Steps ;  and  that  no  one  cometh  to 
the  firft  Step,  but  from  the  Lord  by  Conjunclion 
with  him,  and  that  every  one  afcendeth  according 
to  Conjundion,  and  that  as  he  afcends  he  perceiveth, 
that  no  one  is  wife  from  himfelf,  but  from  the  Lord  : 
Alfo  that  the  Things  which  he  knoweth,  (faplt^) 
comparatively  with  thofe  which  he  doth  not  know, 
are  like  a  few  Drops  to  a  great  Lake.  By  the 
twelve  Steps  to  the  Palace  of  Wifdom,  are  fignified 
GoodnefTes  conjoined  to  Truths  and  Truths  con- 
joined to  Goodneffes. 

Z1'   IV. 


78     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

37.  IV.  That  Man,  in  Proportion  as  he  is  more 
nearly  conjoined  to  the  Lord^  in  the  fame  Proportion 
bccometh  happier.  The  fame  Things  which  are  faid 
above,  n.  32  to  34,  of  the  Degrees  of  Life  and  of 
Wifdom  according  to  Conjunction  with  the  Lord, 
may  alfo  be  faid  of  the  Degrees  of  FeHcity ;  for  Fe- 
licities or  Beatitudes  and  Delights  afcend,  as  the  fu- 
perior  Degrees  of  the  Mind,  which  are  called  fpirit- 
ual  and  celeftial,  are  opened  in  Man,  and  thefe  De- 
grees after  his  Life  in  the  World  increafe  to  Eter* 
nity. 

38,  No  Man,  who  is  in  the  Delights  of  the  Con- 
cupifcences  of  Evil,  can  know  any  thing  of  the  De- 
lights of  the  AfFedions  of  Good,  m  which  the  An- 
gelic Heaven  is,  for  thefe  Delights  are  altogether 
oppofite  to  each  other  in  Internals,  and  thence  inte- 
riorly in  Externals,  but  in  the  Surface  itfelf  there  is 
but  little  Difference  :  For  every  Love  hath  irs  De- 
lights, even  the  Love  of  Evil  in  thofe  who  are  in 
Concupifcences,  as  the  Love  of  committing  Adulte- 
ry,  of  revenging,  defrauding,  dealing,  committing 
Outrages,  yea  in  the  mofl  Wicked  of  blafpheming 
the  holy  Things  of  the  Church,  and  fpitting  out 
their  Virulence  againft  God  ;  the  Source  of  thefe 
Delights  is  the  Love  of  Dominion  from  the  Love  of 
Self  :  Thefe  Delights  are  from  the  Concupifcences 
which  pofiefs  the  Interiors  of  the  Mind,  flow  from 
them  into  the  Body,  and  there  excite  UncleannefTes, 
which  titillate  the  Fibres ;  thence,  from  the  Delight 
of  the  Ivlind  according  to  its  Concupifcences,  arifeth 
Delight  of  the  Body ;  of  what  Kind  the  unclean 
Things  are,  which  titillate  the  Fibres  of  their  Bod- 
ies, it  is  given  every  one  to  know  after  Death,  in  the 

fpiritual 


The  Divine  Providence. 


79 


fplntual  World ;  they  are  in  general  cadaverous, 
excrementitious,  ftercoraceous,  filthy,  and  urinous 
Matters,  for  their  Hells  abound  with  fuch  unclean 
Things  ;  which,  that  they  are  Correfpondences,  fee 
fome  Palfages  in  the  Treatife  on  The  Divine  Love 
AND  THE  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  422  to  424 :  But 
thefe  foul  Delights,  after  they  enter  into  Hell,  are 
turned  into  direful  PuniQiments.  Thefe  Thin2:s 
are  faid,  that  it  may  be  underllood  what  is  the  Na- 
ture of  the  Felicity  of  Heaven,  of  which  in  what  now 
follows  y  for  every  Thing  is  known  from  its  Op- 
pofite. 

39.  The  Beatitudes,  BleiTjdnejTcs,  Delights,  and 
PleafantnelTes,  in  a  Word  the  Felicities  of  Heaven^, 
cannot  be  defcribed  in  Words,  but  in  Heaven  they 
can  be  perceived  by  the  Senfe  ;  for  what  is  perceiv- 
ed by  the  Senfe  alone,  cannot  be  defcribed,  becaufe 
it  does  not  come  within  the  Ideas  of  Thought,  and 
confequently  neither  into  Words ;  for  the  Under- 
flanding  alone  fees,  and  fees  the  Things  which  are 
of  Wifdom  or  of  Truth,  but  not  the  Things  which 
are  of  Love  or  of  Good,  wherefore  thofe  Felicities 
are  inexpreffible,  but  ftill  they  afcend  in  a  fimilar 
Degree  with  Wifdom  ;  the  Varieties  of  them  are 
infinite,  and  each  of  thefe  ineffable  :  I  have  heard 
this,  and  I  have  perceived  it.  Thefe  Felicities  how- 
ever enter,  as  Man  removeth  the  Concupifcences  of 
the  Love  of  Evil  and  the  Falfe,  as  of  himfelf,  but 
flill  of  the  Lord,  for  thofe  Felicities  are  the  Felicities 
of  the  Affections  of  Good  and  Truth,  and  thefe  are 
oppofite  to  the  Concupifcences  of  the  Love  of  Evil 
and  the  Falfe  :  The  Felicities  of  the  AiTeftions  of 
Good  and  Truth  begin  from  the  Lord,  therefore 

from 


8q     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

from  the  Inmofl:,  and  thence  diiFufe  themfelves  to 
the  Inferiors,  even  to  the  Uhimates,  and  fo  fill  the 
Angel,  and  caufe  hirn  to  be  as  it  were  all  Delight. 
Such  Felicities  with  infinite  Varieties,  are  in  every 
Affection  of  Good  and  Truth,  efpecially  in  the  Af-- 
feclion  of  Wildom. 

40.  The  Delights  of  the  Concupifcences  of  Evil, 
and  the  Delights  of  the  Affedions  of  Good,  cannot 
be  compared,  becaufe  inwardly  in  the  Delights  of 
the  Concupifcences  of  Evil  the  Devil  is,  and  in- 
wardly in  the  DeHghts  of  the  Affedions  of  Good 
the  Lord  is  ;  if  they  are  to  be  compared,  the  De- 
lights of  the  Concupifcences  of  Evil  can  only  be 
compared  with  the  lafcivious  Delights  of  Frogs  in 
ftagnant  V/aters,  as  alfo  of  Serpents  in  Stenches  5 
but  the  Delights  of  the  Affeftions  of  Good  may  be 
compared  to  the  Delights  of  the  Mind  in  Gardens 
and  Shrubberies  :  For  fimiiar  Things  to  what  affect 
Frogs  and  Serpents,  alfo  afFe6t  thofe  in  the  Hells 
who  are  in  the  Concupifcences  of  Evil,  and  fimiiar 
Things  to  what  affed  the  Mind  in  Gardens  and 
Shrubberies,  alfo  affeO:  thofe  in  the  Heavens  wha 
are  in  the  Affections  of  Good  :  For,  as  was  faid 
above,  corrciJ3ondent  unclean  Things  affed  .  the 
Wicked,  and  correfpondent  clean  Things  affed  the 
Good. 

41.  Hence  It  may  appear,  that  in  Proportion  as 
any  one  is  more  nearly  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  in 
the  fame  Proportion  he  becometh  happier  :  But  this 
Happinefs  rarely  manifeffs  itfelf  in  the  World  ;  be- 
caufe Man  is  then  in  a  natural  State,  and  what  is 
Natural  doth  not  communicate  with  what  is  Sph-it- 
ual  by  Continuity,  but  by  Correfpondences,  and  this 

Communication 


The  Divine  Providence.  Si 

Communication  is  only  felt  by  a  certain  Quiet  and 
Peace  of  Mind,  which  is  produced  efpecially  after 
Combats  againfl;  Evils  :  But  when  Man  putteth  off 
the  natural  State,  and  entereth  into  the  fpiiitual 
State,  as  is  the  Cafe  after  his  Departure  out  of  the 
World,  then  the  Felicity  above  defcribed  fucceflive- 
ly  manifefts  itfelf. 

42.  V.  That  Aldfi,  in  Proportion  as  he  is  iiiore 
nearly  conjoined  to  the  Lord^  in  the  fame  Froportioit 
{tppeareth  to  himfelf  more  diJihiBl'j  io  he  his  own^  and 
pcrceivcth  more  evidently  that  he  is  the  Lord^s,  In 
judging  from  Appearance  one  would  fuppofe,  that 
by  hov/  much  the  nearer  any  one  is  conjoined  to  the 
Lord,  by  fo  much  the  lefs  he  is  his  own  ;  there  is 
fuch  an  Appearance  with  all  the  Wicked,  and  alfa 
■with  thofe  who  believe  from  Religion  that  they  are 
not  under  the  Yoke  of  the  Law,  and  that  no  one 
can  do  Good  from  himfelf ;  for  both  thefe  Sorts  of 
Perfons  can  fee  no  otherwife,  than  that  not  to  be  at 
Liberty  to  think  and  to  will  Evil,  but  only  Good,  is 
iiot  to  be  at  one's  own  Difpofal  ;  and  becaufe  they 
who  are  conjoined  to  the  Lord  neither  will,  nor  can^ 
think  and  will  evil,  from  the  i^ppearance  in  them- 
felves  they  conclude,  that  this  is  to  be  not  their 
own  *,  when  neverthelefs  it  is  altogether  the  con- 
trary. 

43.  There  is  infernal  Liberty  and  there  is  celeflial 
Liberty  ;  to  think  and  will  Evil  is  from  infernal  Lib- 
erty, and  fo  far  as  civil  and  moral  Laws  do  not  pre- 
vent, to  fpeak  and  do  it ;  but  to  think  and  will 
Good  is  from  ccleiHal  Liberty,  and  fo  far  as  Oppor- 
tunity is  given,  to  fpeak  and  do  it :  Whatfoever 
Man  tlvtlketh,  willeth,  fpeaketh.  and  doeth  froni 

^'/  L  Free-Will, 


82     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Free-Will,  this  he  perceiveth  as  his  own,  for  all 
Liberty  is  derived  to  Man  from  his  Love  ;  where- 
fore they  who  are  in  the  Love  of  Evil,  perceive  no 
otherwife,  than  that  infernal  Liberty  is,  real  Liberty, 
but  they  who  are  in  the  Love  of  Good,  perceive  that 
celeflial  Liberty  is  real  Liberty,  confequently  that  its 
Oppofite  is  Servitude  to  both  :  Still,  however,  it 
cannot  be  denied  by  any,  but  that  one  or  the  other 
is  Liberty,  for  two  Liberties  in  themfelves  oppofite, 
cannot  be  Liberties  ;  moreover  it  cannot  be  denied, 
that  to  be  led  by  Good  is  Liberty,  and  to  be  led  by 
Evil  is  Servitude,  for  to  be  led  by  Good  is  to  be  led 
by  the  Lord,  and  to  be  led  by  Evil  is  to  be  led  by 
the  Devil :  Now  forafmuch  as  every  Thing  appear- 
eth  to  a  Man  as  his  own,  which  he  doeth  from  Free- 
will or  Liberty,  for  this  is  of  his  Love,  and  to  ad: 
from  his  Love  is  to  ad  from  Liberty,  as  was  faid 
above,  it  follows,  that  Conjunction  with  the  Lord 
caufeth  Man  to  appear  to  himfelf  free,  and  confe- 
quently his  own  ;  and  in  Proportion  as  his  Con- 
junftion  is  nearer  with  the  Lord,  in  the  fame  Pro- 
portion freer,  and  confequently  more  his  own.  The 
Reafon  why  he  appeareth  to  himfelf  77iore  d'lftindly  to 
be  his  own,  is,  becaufe  the  Divine  Love  is  fuch,  that 
what  is  its  own  it  willeth  to  be  another's,  therefore 
to  be  Man's  and  AngePs  ;  all  fpiritual  Love  is  fuch, 
efpecially  Divine  Love  :  And  befides  the  Lord  never 
forceth  any  one,  becaufe  no  one  Thing,  to  which  any 
one  is  forced  appears  as  his  own,  and  what  doth  not 
appear  as  his  own,  cannot  be  made  of  his  Love,  and 
fo  appropriated  to  him  as  his  own  :  Wherefore  Man 
is  led  by  the  Lord  continually  in  Freedom,  and  alfo 
is  reformed  and  regenerated  in  Freedom.     But  on 

this 


The  Divine  Providence.         83 

this  Subjed  more  will  be  faid  in  what  follows  ; 
Something  alfo  may  be  feen  above,  n.  4. 
,     44.    The  Reafon  however  why  Man,  by  how 
much  the  more  diftindly  he  appeareth  to  himfelf  as 
his    own,  by   fo    much   the    more   evidently   per- 
ceiveth  that  he  is  the  Lord's,  is,  becaufe  in  Pro- 
portion   as    he    is  more  nearly  conjoined    to  the 
Lord,  in  the  fame  Proportion  he  becometh  wifer,  as 
was  (hewn  above,  n.  34  to  ^6,  and  Wifdom  teacheth 
this,  and  he  alfo  perceiveth  it :  The  Angels  of  the 
third  Heaven,  who  are  the  wifeft  of  the  Angels,  alfo 
perceive  this,  and  likewife  call  it  Liberty  itfclf ;  but 
to  be  led  by  themfelves  they  call  Servitude  :  They 
declare  alfo  the  Reafon  of  this,  viz.  that  the  Lord 
doth  not  flow  immediately  into  the  Things  which  are 
of  their  Perception  and  Thought  from  Wifdom,  but 
into  the  AiFeclions  of  the  Love  of  Good,  and  through 
the  latter  into  the  former,  and  that  they  perceive  the 
Influx  in    the  AiFedion,   whence  is  derived   their 
Wifdom,  and  that  then  all  which  they  think  from 
Wifdom,  appeareth  as  from  themfelves,  therefore 
as  their  own  ;  and  that  by  this,  reciprocal  Conjunc- 
tion is  elfedted. 

45.  Forafmuch  as  the  Divine  Providence  of  the 
Lord  hath  for  its  End  an  Heaven  out  of  the  Human 
Race,  it  follows  that  it  hath  for  its  End  the  Con- 
jundion  of  the  Human  Race  with  Itfelf,  concerning 
which,  n.  28  to  31  :  Alfo  that  it  hath  for  its  End, 
that  Man  may  be  more  and  more  nearly  conjoined 
to  It,  of  which,  n.  32,  33,  for  thus  he  is  an  interior 
Heaven  :  As  alfo  that  it  hath  for  its  End,  that  Man- 
by  that  Conjunction  may  become  wifer,  of  which, 

n.  34 


84    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

n.  34  to  36  ;  and  that  he  may  become  happier,  of 
■which,  n.  'I'j  to  41,  becaufe  Man  paiTeireth  Heaven 
from  Wifdoni,  and  according  to  it ;  and  by  it  alfo 
Felicity  :  And  laftly,  that  it  hath  for  its  End,  that 
Man  may  appear  to  himfelf  more  diflindly  as  his 
own,  and  ilill  may  perceive  more  evidently  that  he 
is  the  Lord's,  of  which,  n.  42  to  44.  All  thefe 
Things  are  of  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord, 
becauie  all  thefe  Things  conftitute  Heaven,  which 
is  the  End  propofed* 


That  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord 
in  all  which  it  doeth^  hath  Rejped  to 
what  is  Infinite  and  Eternal. 

46.  TTT  is  w^ell  known  in  the  Chriftian  World, 
J_  that  God  is  Infinite  and  Eternal,  for  in  the 
Dodrine  of  the  Trinity,  which  hath  its  Name  from 
Athanafms,  it  is  faid  that  God  the  Father  is  Infinite, 
Eternal,  and  Omnipotent,  in  like  Manner  God  the 
Son  and  God  the  Holy  Ghoft,  and  that  neverthelefs 
there  are  not  three  Infinites,  Eternals,  and  Omnipo- 
tents,  but  One  :  From  this  it  follows,  that  forafmuch 
as  God  is  Infinite  and  Eternal,  Nothing  elfe  but  In- 
finite and  Eternal  can  be  predicated  of  God.     But 
what  Infinite  and  Eternal  is,  cannot  be  comprehends 
ed  by  Finite,  and  yet  it  can  ;  it  cannot  be  compre- 
hended, becaufe  Finite  is  not  capable  of  Infinite  ; 
p.nd  it  can  be  comprehended,  becaufe  there  are  given 

^bflract 


i        The  Divine  Providence.         85 

abftra^l  Ideas,  by  which  it  can  be  feen  that  Things 
exift,  although  not  what  their  Quality  is ;  fuch  Ideas 
are  given  of  Infinite,  as  that  God  becaufe  he  is  Infi- 
nite, or  the  Divine  becaufe  it  is  Infinite,  is  Efle  itfelF, 
that  it  is  Eflence  and  Subflance  itfelf,  that  it  is  Love 
itfelf  and  Wifdom  itfelf,  or  that  it  is  Goodnefs  itfelf 
and  Truth  itlbif,  therefore  that  it  is  Itfelf,  (Ipfu?n^J 
yea  that  it  is  Man  hiinfelf  or  perfed  Man  ;   as  alio 
if  it  be  faid  that  Infniite  is  All,  thus  that  Infinite 
Wifdom  is  Omnifcience,  and  Infinite  Pov/er  is  Om- 
nipotence.    But  ftill  thefe  Things  fall  but  obfcurely 
within  the  Thought,  and  from  being  incomprchen- 
fible  perhaps  come  to  be  denied,  unlefs  the  Things 
which  Thought  deriveth  from  Nature,  be  abftraded 
from  the  Idea,  efpecially  what  it  deriveth  from  thofe 
two  Things  proper  to  Nature',  Space  and  Time,  for 
thefe  cannot  but  end  or  terminate  Ideas,  and  caule  ab- 
ftradl  Ideas  to  be,  as  it  were,  not  arty  Thing  :  But  if 
thefe  can  be  abfiradled  by  Man,  as  they  are  by  an 
Angel,  then  Infinite  can  be  comprehended  by  the 
Things  above  recited  ;  and  it  can  alfo  be  compre- 
hended that  Man  is  Something,  becaufe  he  was  cre- 
ated by  an  Infinite  God,  who  is  All  j  alfo  that  Man 
is  a  fxuite  Subflance,  becaufe  he  was  created  by  an 
Infinite  God,  who  is  Subflance  itfelf ;  as  alfo,  that 
Man  is  Wifdom,  becaufe  he  was  created  by  an  Infi- 
nite God,  who  is  Wifdom  itfelf,  and  fo  on  ;  for  un- 
lefs the  Infinite  God  were  All,  Subflance  itfelf,  and 
Wifdom  itfelf,  Man  would  not  be  any  Thing,  there- 
fore he  would  either  be  Nothing,  or  only  an  Idea  of 
being,  or  an  ideal  Being,  according  to  thofe  Vifiona- 
ries,  who  are  called  Idealifls.     From  what  is  fhewn 
in  the  Treatife  on  The  Divine  Love  and  the 

Divine 


86    A];<rGELic  Wisdom  concerning 

Divine  Wisdom,  It  Is  evident.  That  the  Divine 
Eflence  is  Love  and  Wifdom,  "n.  28  to  39.  That 
the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wifdoin  Is  Sub- 
ftance  itfelf  and  Form  itfelf ;  and  that  it  is  Self-Sub- 
fifling  and  Sole-Sabfifling,  n.  40  to  46.  And  that 
God^created  the  Univerfe  and  all  Things  therein 
from  liimfelf,  and  not  from  Nothing,  n.  282  to  284 ; 
thence  it  follows,  that  every  created  Thing,  and  ef- 
pecialiy  Man,  and  in  him  Love  and  Wifdom,  are 
Something,  and  not  only  an  Idea  of  Being  [_Idca 
qiiodfint  ;]  for  if  God  was  not  Inhnite,  there  would 
be  no  Finite  ;  alfo  if  Infinite  was  not  All,  there 
would  not  be  any  Thing  ;  and  if  God  had  not 
created  all  Things  out  of  Himfelf,  there  would  be 
Nothing  :  In  a  Word,  We  Are  because  God  Is, 
47.  Now  forafmuch  as  the  Divine  Providence  is 
the  Subject  here  treated  of,  and  it  is  intended  in  this 
Article  to  Ihew  how  it  hath  Refped:  to  what  is  In- 
finite and  Eternal  in  whatever  it  doeth,  and  this 
cannot  be  fet  forth  di(lin6tly,  except  ifi  a  certain 
Order ;  therefore  that  Order  fhall  be  as  follow^s : 
I.  That  what  is  Infinite  in  itfelf  and  Eternal  in  itfelf 
is  the  fame  with  what  is  Divine.  11.  That  what  is 
Infinite  and  Eternal  in  itfelf  cannot  but  have  Refped 
to  what  is  Infinite  from  itfelf  in  Finites.  III.  That 
the  Divine  Providence  in  all  that  it  doeth,  hath 
Refped  to  what  is  Infinite  and  Eternal  from  itfelf, 
efpeclally  in  faving  the  Human  Race.  IV.  That 
an  Image  of  what  is  Infinite  and  Eternal  exifls  in 
n\^  Angelic  Heaven  from  the  Human  Race  faved. 
V.  That  to  have  Refped  to  what  is  Infinite  and 
Eternal  in  forming  the  Angelic  Eleaven,  that  it  may 
be  before  the  Lord  as  one  Man,  who  is  his  Image, 

is 


The  Divine  Providence.  87 

IS  the  Intimum  (inmofl  End  or  Purpofe)  of  the  Di- 
vine Providence. 

48.  I.  That  what  is  Injiniie  in  iff  elf  and  Eternal  in 
itfelf  is  the  fame  ivith  what  is  Divine^  may  appear 
from  what  is  iliewn  in  many  Places  in  the  Treatife 
on  The  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom. 
That  what  is  Infinite  in  itfelf  and  Eternal  in  itfelf  is 
Divine,  is  grounded  in  the  Idea  of  the  Angels,  the 
Angels  meaning  by  Infinite  no  other  than  the  Di- 
vine EfTe,  and  by  Eternal  the  Divine  Exigence. 
But  that  what  is  infinite  in  itfelf,  and  Eternal  in  it- 
felf, is  Divine,  can  be  feen,  and  cannot  be  feen  by 
Men ;  it  can  be  feen  by  thofe  who  think  of  Infinite 
not  from  Space,  and  of  Eternal  not  from  Time ; 
but  it  cannot  be  feen  by  thofe  who  think  of  Infinite 
and  Eternal  from  Space  and  Time  ;  therefore  it  can 
be  feen  by  thofe,  who  think  more  elevated ly,  that 
is,  more  interiorly  in  the  Rational  [Mind],  but  it 
cannot  be  feen  by  thofe  whofe  Thought  is  lower, 
that  is,  more  exterior.  They,  by  whom  it  can  be 
feen,  think  th^it  Infinity  of  Space  cannot  exiif ,  there- 
fore neither  Infinity  of  Time,  which  is  the  Eternal 
from  whom  all  Things  are,  becaufe  Infinite  is  with- 
out a  fird  and  lafl  End,  or  without  Bounds :  They 
think  alfo,  that  neither  can  there  exid  Infinite  from 
itfelf,  becaufe  from  itfelf  fuppofeth  a  Bound  and  Be- 
ginning, or  a  Prior  from  which  it  is  derived  ;  confe- 
quendy,  that  it  is  a  vain  Thing  to  foy  Infinite  and 
Eternal  from  itfelf,  becaufe  that  would  be  like  fay- 
ing Efle  from  itfelf,  which  is  contradidory,  for  Infi- 
nite from  itfelf  would  be  Infinite  from  Infinite,  and 
EiTe  from  itfelf  would  be  Elfe  from  Elle,  and  that  In- 
finite and  EiTe  would  either  be  the  fame  with  Infi- 
nite 


88    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

nite  or  it  would  be  Finite.  From  thefe  and  fuch 
like  Confiderations,  which  can  be  feen  interiorly  in 
the  Rational  [Mind],  it  is  evident  that  there  exifl- 
eth  Infinite  in  itfelf,  and  Eternal  in  itfelf,  and  that 
both  are  the  Divine,  from  which  all  Things  are. 

49.  1  know  that  many  will  fay  with  themfelves, 
how  can  any  one  comprehend  interiorly  in  his  Ra- 
tional [Mind]  any  thing  without  Space  and  with^ 
out  Time,  and  that  this  not  only  is,  but  alfo  that  it 
is  All,  and  that  it  is  the  very  Thing,  from  which  all 
Things  are  derived ;  but  think  interiorly,  whether 
Love  or  any  Affection  thereof,  or  Wifdom  or  any 
Perception  thereof,  yea  whether  Thought  is  in  Space 
and  in  Time,  and  you  will  find  that  they  are  not ; 
and  whereas  the  Divine  is  Love  itfeif  and  Wifdom 
itfelf,  ic  follows  that  the  Divine  cannot  be  conceived 
in  Space  and  in  Time,  therefore  neither  can  Infinite  : 
That  this  may  be  more  clearly  perceived,  confider 
whether  Thought  is  in  Time  and  Space ;  fuppofe  a 
ProgrefTion  of  it  of  ten  or  twelve  Hours,  may  not 
this  Space  of  Time  appear  as  of  one  or  two  Hours, 
and  may  it  not  alfo  appear  as  of  one  or  tw^o  Days, 
inafmuch  as  it  appears  according  to  the  State  of  the 
Affedion  from  which  the  Thought  is  derived  ;  if  it 
is  an  Affection  of  Joy,  in  which  Time  is  not 
thought  of,  the  Thought  of  ten  or  twelve  Hours  is 
fcarcely  of  one  or  two ;  but  the  reverfe  happens  if 
the  Afl^edion  is  of  Grief,  in  which  Time  is  attend- 
ed to ;  thence  it  is  evident,  that  Time  is  only  an 
Appearance  according  to  the  State  of  Affedioa 
from  which  Thought  is  derived  ;  it  is  the  fame  with 
the  Dillance  of  Space  in  Thought,  whether  in  walk- 
ing, or  in  going  a  Journey. 

*  50.    Forafmuch 


The  Divine  Providence.  8a 

50.  Forafir.uch  as  Angels  and  Spirits  are  Allec- 
tions  which  arc  of  Love,  and  Thoughts  thence  deri- 
ved, therefore  neither  are  they  in  Space  and  Time, 
but  only  in  the  Appearance  thereof ;  the  Appear- 
ance of  Space  and  Time  is  to  them  according  to  the 
States  of  the  AfFedions  and  thence  of  the  Thoughts : 
Wherefore  when  any  one  thinks   of  another  from 
AfFedion,  intently  defiring  to  fee  him,  or  fpeak  with 
him,  the  other  actually  prefents  himfelf.     Hence  it 
is,  that  there  are  prefent  with  every  Man  Spirits, 
who  are  in  a  fimilar  Affedion  with  him,  evil  Spirits 
with  him  who  is  in  the  Affedion  of  fmiilar  Evil, 
and  good  Spirits   with  him  who  is  in  the  AHeclion 
of  fnnilar  Good;  and  they  are  as  prefent  as  any_ 
one  is  with  Company  fliut  up  in  the  fame  Room : 
Space  and  Time  contribute  Nothing  to  Prefence,  by 
Reafon  that  Affection  and  its  confequent  Thought 
are  not  in  Space  and  Time,  and  Spirits  and  Angels 
are  Affedions,  and  Thoughts  derived  from  them. 
That  this  is  the  Cafe,  hath  been  given  me  to  know 
from  lively  Experience  of  feveral  Years  ;  and  alfo 
from  this  Circumftance,  that  I  have  converfed  with 
many  after  Death,  as  well  with  thofe  in  Europe  and 
its  various  Kingdoms,  as  with  thofe  in  Afia  and 
Africa,  and  their  various  Kingdoms,  and  they  were 
all  near  me  ;   whereas  if  they  had  been  in  Space 
and  Time,  a  Journey  mull  have  intervened,   and 
Time  for  that  Journey.     Yea,  every  Man  knoweth 
this  to  be  fo  from  Somewhat  inherent  in  himfelf  or 
in  his  Mind,  as  was  proved  to  me  by  this  Confider- 
ation,  that  no  one  thought  of  any  Dili ance  of  Space, 
when  I  related   that  I  had  converfed  with  any  one 
who  died  in  Afia,  Africa,  or  Europe,  as  for  Exam- 
M  p!e. 


go    Angelic  \Vis0OM  concerning 

J)le,  with  Calvin,  Luther,  Melandhon,  or  with  any 
King,  Governor,  or  Pried  in  a  remote  Country,  and 
it  did  not  even  enter  into  their  Thought  to  alk.  How 
could  he  converfe  with  thofe  who  Uved  there,  and 
how  could  they  come  to  him  and  be  prefent,  w^hen 
neverthelefs  Lands  and  Seas  intervene  ?  From  this 
Confideration  alfo  it  was  evident  to  me,  that  no  one 
thinks  from  Space  and  Time,  when  he  thinks  -of 
thofe  who  are  in  the  fpiritual  World.  That  never- 
thelefs they  have  an  Appearance  of  Space  and  Time, 
may  be  feen  in  the  Work  on  Heaven  and  Hell, 
II.  162  to  169,    191  to  199. 

51.  From  thefe  Confiderations  then  it  may  ap- 
pear, that  Infinite  and  Eternal,  confequently  the 
Lord,  is  to  be  thought  of  without  Space  and  Time, 
and  that  he  can  fo  be  thought  of,  alfo  that  he  is  fo 
thought  of  by  thofe  who  think  interiorly  in  the  Ra- 
tional [Mind],  and  that  then  Infinite  and  Eternal  is 
the  fame  with  the  Divine :  Thus  do  Angels  and 
Spirits  think  :  By  Virtue  of  Thought  abftradted 
from  Time  and  Space  is  comprehended  the  Divine 
Omniprefence  and  the  Divine  Omnipotence,  alfa 
the  Divine  from  Eternity,  and  not  at  all  by  Thought, 
in  which  an  Idea  from  Space  and  Time  is  inherent. 
Hence  it  is  evident,  that  God  from  Eternity  can,  be 
thought  of,  but  never  Nature  from  Eternity  ;  confe- 
quently that  the  Creation  of  the  Univerfe  by  God 
can  be,  thought  of,  and  not  any  Thing  at  all  of 
Creation  from  Nature,  for  Space  and  Time  are  prop- 
er to  Nature,  but  the  Divine  is  without  them.  That 
the  Divine  is  without  Space  and  Time,  may  be  [ccn 
in  the  Treatif^  on  The  Divine  Love  and  the 

Divine 


The  Divine  Providence.         91 

Divine  Wisdom,  n.  7  to  ic,  69  to  72,   "ji  to  76, 
and  elfewhere. 

52.  II.  That  iJuhat  is  Infinite  and  Eternal  in  itfelf^ 
cannot  but  have  RefpeB  to  what  is  Infinite  and  Eternal 
from  itfclfin  Finiies,  By  Infinite  and  Eternal  in  itfelf 
is  meant  the  Divine  itfelf,  as  was  fhewn  in  the 
preceding  Article  ;  by  Finites  are  meant  all  Things 
created  from  the  Divine,  and  efpecially  Men,  Spirits, 
and  Angels ;  and  to  have  Refped  to  Infinite  and 
Eternal  from  itfelf,  is  to  refpe6l  the  Divine,  that  is 
Himfelf  in  them,  as  a  Man  refpecteth  or  beholdeth 
his  Image  in  a  Glafs  :  That  this  is  the  Cafe,  is  fliewn 
abundantly  in  the  Treatife  on  The  Divine  Love 
AND  THE  Divine  Wisdom,  efpecially  where  it  is 
demonflrated,  that  In  the  created  Univerfe  there  is 
an  Image  of  Man,  and  that  it  is  an  Image  of  what 
is  Infinite  and  Eternal,  n.  317,  318,  therefore  an 
Image  of  God  th^  Creator,  that  is,  of  the  Lord  from 
Eternity.  Eut  it  is  to  be  underflood,  that  the  Divine 
in  itfelf  is  in  the  Lord,  but  the  Divine  from  itfelf  is 
the  Divine  from  the  Lord  in  Things  created. 

53.  But  for  the  better  Underflanding  of  this,  it 
may  be  expedient  to  illuftrate  it :  The  Divine  cannot 
refpect  or  regard  any  Thing  but  what  is  Divine,  and 
it  cannot  regard  or  fee  what  is  Divine  any  where 
elfe  but  In  Things  created  from  Itfelf;  that  this  is 
the  cafe,  is  evident  from  this  Confideration,  that  no 
one  can  refpecc  another  but  from  his  own  in  himfelf; 
he  who  loveth  another,  refpefteth  him  from  his  own 
Love  in  himfelf ;  he  who  is  wife,  refpecteth  another 
from  his  own  Wifdom  in  himfelf ;  he  may  fee  in- 
deed that  the  other  either  loveth  him  or  doth  not 
{ove  him,  tilfo  that  either  he  is  wife  or  is  not  wife, 

but 


92 


Angelic  Wisdom   cokcerKino 


but  this  he  feeth  from  I.ovc  and  from  Wifdom  in 
himfelf,  wherefore  he  fo  far  conjoineth  himfelf  to 
him  as  the  other  loveth  himfelf  as  he  loveth  him,  or 
fo  far  as  the  other  is  wife  Hke  himfelf,  for  fo  they  ad 
as  one.     It  is  the  fame  with  the  Divine  in  itfelf,  for 
the  Divine  in  itfelf  cannot  refpect  or  fee  itfelf  from 
another,  as  from  a  Man,  Spirit,  or  Angel  ;  for  they 
have  Nothing  of  the  alLcreating  Divine  in  itfelf,  and 
to  fee  the  Divine  from  another,  in  which  there  h 
Nothing  of  the  Divine,  w^ould  be  to  fee  the  Divine 
from  no  Divine,  which  is  not  poUible  :  Hence  it  is, 
that  the  Lord  is  fo  conjoined  to  Man,  Spirit,  and  An- 
gel, that  all,  which  hath  Relation  to  the  Divine,  is 
not  from  them  but  from  the  Lord  :  For  it  is  a  known 
Thing,  that  all  the  Good  and  all  the  True  which  any 
one  hath,  is  net  from  himfelf  but  from  the  Lord  ; 
yea  that  not  any  one  can  even  name  the  Lord,  or 
pronounce  his  Names  Jefus  and  Chrift,  but  from 
Him.     Hence  then  it  follows,  that  Infinite  and  Eter^ 
nal,  which  is  the  fame  with  the  Divine,  refpedleth 
all  Things  infinitely  in  Finites,  and  that  it  conjoineth 
itfelf  to  them  according  to  the  Degree  of  the  Recep- 
tion of  Wifdom  and  Love  in  them.     In  a  Word,  the 
Lord  cannot  have  his  Manfion  and  dwell  in  Man  and 
Angel,  but  in  his  owm,  and  not  in  their  Proprium, 
for  that  is  Evil,  and  if  it  were  Good,  (till  it  is  Finite, 
which  in  itfelf  and  from  itfelf  is  not  capable  of  Infi- 
nite.    From  thefe  Confiderations  it  is  evident,  that 
it  can  never  be,  that  Finite  can  fee  Infinite,  but  that 
it  can  be,  that  Infinite  can  fee  Infinite  from  itfelf  in 
Finites. 

54.  It  appears  as  if  Infinite  could  not  be  conjoined 
Jo  Finite,  becaiife  th^re  is  no  Proportion  between  In:- 

finite 


The  Divine  Providence. 


93 


finite  and  Finite,  and  becaufe  Finite  is  not  capable 
of  Infinite,  but  never thelefs  Conjun<5lion  is  given,  as 
well  becaufe  Infinite  out  of  itfelf  created  all  Things, 
according  to  what  is  fhewn  in  the  Treatife  on  Tme 
Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  282 
to  2  84,  as  becaufe  Infinite  cannot  refpecl  any  Thing 
elfe  in  Finites  but  Infinite  from  itfelf,  and  that  this 
can  appear  with  Finites  as  in  them  ;  thus  there  is 
given  a  Ratio  between  Finite  and  Infinite,  not  from 
.  Finite,  but  from  Infinite  in  Finite  ;  and  alfo  thus 
Finite  is  capable  of  Infinite,  not  Finite  in  itfelf,  but 
as  in  itfelf,  originating  in  Infinite  from  itfelf  in  it. 
But  of  this  more  in  what  now  follows. 

^^,  III.  T/jat  the  Divine  Providence  in  all  that  it 
doeth,  hath  Refped  to  what  is  Infinite  and  Eternal  from 
itfelf^  efpecially  in  faving  the  Hwnan  Race.  Infinite 
and  Eternal  in  itfelf  is  the  Divine  itfelf,  or  the  Lord 
in  himfelf ;  but  Infinite  and  Eternal  from  itfelf,  is 
the  proceeding  Divine,  or  the  Lord  in  others  creat- 
ed out  of  himfelf,  therefore  in  Men  and  m  Angels, 
and  this  Divine  is  the  fame  wdth  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence ;  for  the  Lord  by  the  Divine  from  himfelf 
provideth,  that  all  Things  may  be  contained  in  the 
Order^  in  which,  and  for  which,  they  were  created  ; 
and  forafmuch  as  the  proceeding  Divine  operates 
this,  it  follows  that  all  that  is  the  Divine  Providence. 

^6.  That  the  Divine  Providence  hath  Kefpecl 
in  all  that  it  doeth  to  what  is  Infinite  and  Eternal 
from  itfelf,  may  appear  from  this  Confideration, 
that  every  created  Thing  from  the  Firfl,  which  is 
Infinite  and  Eternal,  proceedeth  to  Ultimates,  and 
from  Ultimates  to  the  Firfl  from  whom  it  proceed- 
ed, as  was  iliewR  in  the  Treatife  concerning  The 

Divine 


94    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,  in  the 
Part  where  the  Creation  of  the  Univerfe  is  treated 
of;  and  forafmuch  as  in  all  its  Progreffion,  the  Firll, 
from  whom  it  is  derived,  exifls  intimately,  it  follows 
that  the  proceeding  Divine  or  the  Divine  Provi-. 
dence  in  all  that  it  doeth  refpedeth  fome  Image  of 
what  is  Infinite  and  Eternal ;  this  it  refpefteth  in 
all  Things,  but  in  fome  to  the  Evidence  of  Percep- 
tion, but  in  others  not ;  it  prefenteth  that  Image  to 
the  Evidence  of  Perception  in  the  Variety  of  all 
Things,  and  in  the  Fructification  and  Multiplication 
of  all  Things.  •    An  linage  of  what  is  Infinite  and  Eter^ 
7ial  in  the  Variety  of  all  Things  appears  in  this,  that 
there  doth  not  exifl  any  one  Thing  the  fame  with 
another,  neither  can  exiO:  to  Eternity  :  This  is  man- 
ifeft  to  the  Eye  in*  the  Faces  of  Men  from  the  firfl 
Creation,  therefore  alfo  from  their  Minds,  of  which 
their  Faces  are  the  Types,  and  alfo  from  their  Affec- 
tions, Perceptions,  and  Thoughts,  for  of  thefe  the 
Mind  confifts.     Hence  it  is,  that  there  do  not  exift 
in  the  univerfal  Heaven  two  Angels  or  two  Spirits 
the  fame,  yea  neither  can  theire  exifl  to  Eternity : 
The  like  is  true  in  Regard  to  every  Objecl  of  Sight 
in  both  Worlds,  as  well  the  natural  as  the  fpiritual : 
Hence  it  may  appear,  that  the  Variety  is  Infinite  and 
Eternal.     An  Image  of  what  is  h finite  and  Eternal  in 
the  FruBification  and  Multiplication  of  all  Things^  is 
evident  from  the  Faculty  inherent  in  Seeds  in  the 
vegetable  Kingdom,  and  in  Prolification  in  the  ani- 
mal Kingdom,  and  efpecially  from  the  Spawn  of 
Filhes,  thaf  if  they  were  to  frudify  and  multiply  ac- 
cording to  their  Faculty,  in  an  Age  they  would  fill 
the  Spaces  of  the  whole  Worlds  yea  of  the  Univerfe ; 

from 


The  Divine  Providence.         g^^ 

from  which  Confideration  It  is  evident,  that  in  that 
Facuhy  there  lieth  concealed  an  Eiix)rt  to  propagate 
itfelf  ad  hijiniium  :  And  forafmuch  as  Frudifications 
and  Multiplications  have  not  failed  from  the  Begin- 
ning of  Creation,  neither  will  fail  to  Eternity,  it  fol- 
lows that  in  that  Faculty  there  is  alfo  an  Effort  to 
propagate  itfelf  to  Eternity. 

^"j.  It  is  the  fame  in  Men  as  to  their  AfFedions 
which  are  of  Love,  and  their  Perceptions  which 
are  of  Wifdom  ?  the  Variety  of  both  thefe  is  Infinite 
and  Eternal ;  in  like  Manner  their  Fru6lifications 
and  Multiplications,  which  are  fpiritual :  No  Man 
poffeffeth  Affedion  and  Perception  fo  like  another, 
as  to  be  the  fame,  neither  is  it  pofTible  to  Eternity  : 
Moreover  Affedions  can  be  fruftilied  and  Percep- 
tions multipHed  without  End  ;  that  Sciences  can 
never  be  exhaufted,  is  well  known.  This  Faculty 
of  Frudification  and  Multiplication  without  End, 
or  to  Infinity  and  Eternity,  exifts  in  Things  natural 
with  Men,  in  Things  fpiritual  with  fpiritual  Angels, 
and  in  Things  celeftial  with  celeflial  Angels.  Af- 
fections, Perceptions,  and  Knov/ledges,  are  fuch  not 
only  in  general,  but  alfo  every,  even  the  leafl  Thing 
conflituent  thereof,  in  particular.  They  are  fuch, 
becaufe  they  exifl:  from  what  is  Infinite  and  Eternal 
in  itfelf  by  what  is  Infinite  and  Eternal  from  itfelf. 
But  forafmuch  as  Finite  hath  not  any  Thing  of  the 
Divine  in  itfelf,  therefore  there  is  not  any  Thing 
Divine,  yea  not  the  lead,  in  Man  or  Angel  as  his 
own,  for  Man  and  Angel  is  finite,  and  only  a  Re- 
ceptacle, in  itfelf  dead  ;  his  living  [Faculty]  is  from 
the  proceeding  Divine  joined  to  him  by  Contiguity, 

which 


96    Angelic  Wisdom  concerking 

which  appeareth  to  him  as  his  own.     That  this  is 
the  Cafe,  will  be  feen  in  what  follows. 

58.  The  Ground  and  Reafon  why  the  Divine 
Providence  refpecteth  what  is  Infinite  and  Eternal 
from  itfelf,  efpecially  in  faving  the  Human  Race,  is, 
becaufe  the  End  of  the  Divine  Providence  is  to  form 
a  Heaven  out  of  the  Human  Race,  as  was  fhewn 
above,  n.  37  to  45  ;  and  whereas  this  is  the  End,  it 
follows,  that  it  Is  the  Reformation  and  Regenera- 
tion of  Man,  therefore  his  Salvation,  which  the  Di- 
vine Providence  efpecially  regardeth,  inafmuch  as 
Heaven  exifts  from  thofe  who  are  faved  or  regene- 
rate. And  whereas  to  regenerate  Man  is  to  unite 
Good  and  Truth  in  him,  or  Love  and  Wifdoni,  as 
they  are  united  in  the  Divine  which  proceedeth 
from  the  Lord,  therefore  the  Divine  Providence  ef- 
pecially regardeth  this  in  faving  the  Human  Race ; 
the  Image  of  what  Is  Infinite  and  Eternal  Is  no  where 
elfe  in  Man  but  in  the  Marriage  of  Good  and  Truth. 
That  the  proceeding  Divine  effecleth  this  in  the  Hu- 
man Race,  is  known  from  thofe,  who  being  filled 
with  the  proceeding  Divine,  which  is  called  the  Holy 
Ghofl,  have  prophefied,  of  whom  Mention  is  made 
in  the  Word ;  and  from  thofe,  who  being  illumina- 
ted fee  Divine  Truths  in  the  Light  of  Heaven ,  ef- 
pecially in  the  Angels,  who  fenfibly  perceive  the 
Prefence,  Influx,  and  Conjundlon  thereof;  but  they 
perceive  alfo,  that  this  Conjuncbloa  is  no  other  than 
what  may  be  called  Adjundion. 

59.  It  hath  not  heretofore  been  known  that  the 
Divine  Providence,  in  all  its  ProgreiTion  with  Man, 
hath  Refpedl:  to,  or  regardeth  his  eternal  State; 
for  it  cannot  regard  any  Thing  elfe,  becaufe  the 

Divine 


The  Divine  Providence. 


97 


jbivine  Is  Infinite  and  Eternal,  and  Infinite  and  E- 
ternal,  or  the  Divine,  is  not  in  Time,  and  confe- 
quently  all  Things  future  are  prefent  to  it ;  and  for- 
afmuch  as  the  Divine  is  fuch,  it  follows,  that  in  all 
and  every  Thing  which  it  effedeth,  there  is  Eternal. 
But  they  who  think  from  Time  and  Space,  with 
Difficulty  perceive  this,  not  only  becaufe  they  love 
temporal  Things,  but  aifo  becaufe  they  think  from 
what  is  prefent  in  the  World,  and  not  from  what 
is  prefent  in  Heaven,  this  latter  being  as  abfent  from 
them  as  the  End  of  the  Earth  j  But  they  who  are 
in  the  Divine,  think  alfo  from  what  is  Eternal  when 
they  think  from  the  prefent,  becaufe  they  think 
from  the  Lord,  faying  with  themfelves^  V/hat  is  that 
which  is  not  Eternal  ?  is  not  Temporal  comparative- 
ly as  Nothing,  and  doth  it  not  alio  become  Noth- 
ing when  it  is  ended  ?  Not  fo  Eternal,  which  alone 
Is,  becaufe  its  Being  hath  no  End ;  to  think  thus, 
is  to  think  at  the  fame  Time  from  what  is  Eternal 
while  thinking  from  the  prefent ;  and  when  Man  fo 
thinketh,  and  at  the  fame  Time  fo  liveth,  then  the 
proceeding  Divine  in  him,  or  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, in  all  its  Progreffion  refpecteth  the  State  of 
his  eternal  Life  in  Heaven,  and  leadeth  him  to  it. 
That  the  Divine  in  every  Man,  as  well  evil  as  good, 
regardeth  what  is  eternal,  will  be  feen  in  what  fol- 
lows. 

60.  IV.  That  an  Image  of  what  is  Infinite  and 
Eternal  is  extant  in  the  Angelic  Heaven,  Among  the 
Things  which  arc  necelTary  to  be  known,  the  Angelic 
Heaven  is  alfo  one,  for  every  one,  who  hath  any  Re- 
ligion, thinketh  of  Heaven,  and  wiflieth  to  go  thiih- 
er  J  but  Heaven  is  not  given  to  any  but  thofe,  who 
N  know 


98     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

know  the  Way  to  it^  and  walk  therein  j  this  Way 
may  alfo  in  fome  Meafure  be  known  from  a  Knowl- 
edge of  the  Nature  and  Quality  of  thofe  who  con- 
llitute  Heaven,  and  that  no  one  beeometh  an  AngeJ, 
or  goeth  to  Heaven,  but  he  who  carrieth  the  Angelic 
[Principle]  with  him  out  of  the  World,  in  which 
Angelic  Principle  there  is  a  Knowledge  of  the  Way 
derived  from  walking  in  it,  and  a  Walking  in  the 
Way  through  a  Knowledge  of  it.  In  the  fpiritual 
World  alfo  there  are  a£lually  Ways,  which  tend  to 
every  Society  of  Heaven,  and  to  every  Society  of 
Hell  ;  and  every  one  feeth  his  Way  as  from  him- 
felf  ;  the  Ground  and  Reafon  why  he  feeth  is,  be- 
eaufe-  there  are  Ways  there  for  every  Love,  and  the 
Love  openeth  them,  and  leadeth  to  its  Alfociates  ;• 
no  one  feeth  any  other  Ways  than  thofe  of  his  own 
Love  :  From  this  Confideration  it  is  evident,  that 
Angels  are  no  other  than  celeftial  Loves,  for  other- 
wife  they  would  not  have  feen  the  Ways  tending  to 
Heaven.  But  this  may  appear  more  clearly  from  a 
Defcription  of  Heaven, 

61.  Every  Spirit  of  Man  is  Affedion  and  Thought 
thence  derived,  and  forafmuch  as  every  Affedion  is 
of  Love,  and  Thought  is  of  the  Underflanding,  eve- 
ry Spirit  is  his  own  Love  and  his  own  Underflanding ; 
w^hich  is  the  Reafon  that  when  a  Man  thinketh  only 
from  his  Spirit,  as  is  the  Cafe  when  he  meditates  2I 
Home  with  himfelf,  he  thinketh  from  the  AfFe^lion 
which  is  of  his  Love  ;  hence  it  may  appear,  that 
Man,  when  he  beeometh  a  Spirit,  as  is  the  Cafe  af- 
ter Death,  is  the  Affeftion  of  his  Love,  and  no  oth- 
er Thought  but  what  is  of  his  Affedlion  ;  he  is  an 
evil  AfFeCtion,  which  is  Cupidity,  if  he  hath  beea 

principled 


The  Divine  Providence.  99 

principled  in  the  Love  of  Evil,  and  a  good  Affec- 
tion, if  he  hath  been  principled  in  the  Love  of  Good  ; 
and  every  one  hath  a  good  Affedion,  as  he  hath 
fhunned  Evils  as  Sins,  and  every  one  hath  an  evil 
Affection,  as  he  hath  not  fo  fhunned  Evils.  .  Now 
forafmuch  as  all  Spirits  and  AngeU  are  Affedions, 
it  is  evident  that  the  univerfal  Angelic  Heaven  is 
Nothing  but  the  Love  of  all  the  Affections  of  Good, 
and  thence  the  Wifdom  of  ail  the  Perceptions  of 
Truth  ;  and  forafmuch  as  all  Good  and  Truth  is  - 
from  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  is  Love  itfelf  and 
Wifdom  itfelf,  it  follows,  that  the  Angelic  Heaven 
is  the  Image  of  Him  ;  and  forafmuch  as  the  Divine 
Love  and  the  Divine  Wifdom  in  its  Form  is  a  Man, 
it  alfo  follows,  that  the  Angelic  Heaven  cannot  be 
otherwife  than  in  fuch  a  Form  :  But  more  will  be 
laid  of  this  in  the  following  Article. 

62.  The  Ground  and  Reafon  why  the  Angelic 
Heaven  is  an  Image  of  what  is  Infinite  and  Eternal, 
is,  becaufe  it  is  an  Image  of  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord 
is  Infinite  and  Eternal.  The  Image  of  his  Infinity 
and  Eternity  appears  in  this,  that  there  are  Myriads 
of  Myriads  of  Angels,  of  which  Lleaven  confifts,  and 
that  they  conflitute  as  many  Societies  as  there  are 
general  Affe6:ions  of  celeflial  Love,  and  that  each 
Angel  in  every  Society  is  diftin^tly  his  own  Affec- 
tion ;  and  that  from  fo  many  AffeOions  in  general 
and  in  particular  the  Form  of  Heaven  exifls,  which 
is  as  one  before  the  Lord,  juff  as  a  Man  is. one  ;  and 
that  this  Form  is  perfected  to  Eternity  according  to 
Plurality,  for  in  Proportion  as  more  enter  the  Form 
of  the  Divine  Love,  which  is  the  Form  of  Forms, 
ii:i  the  fam.e  Proportion  the  Union  is  more  perfed. 

From 


loo   Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

From  thefe  Confiderations  it  manifeftly  appears,  that 
an  Image  of  what  is  Infinite  and  Eternal  is  extant 
in  the  An-^ehc  Heaven. 

61,*  From  the  Knowledge  of  Heaveti  given  by 
this  fnort  Defcription,  it  is  evident,  that  the  AfFec- 
tion,  which  is  of  the  Love  of  Good,  conflitutes 
Heaven  in  Man  :  But  who  knoweth  this  at  this 
Day  ?  Yea,  who  knoweth  what  the  AfFedion  of 
the  Love  of  Good  is,  alfo  that  the  AfFeftions  of  the 
Love  of  Good  are  innumerable,  yea,  infinite  ?  For, 
as  hath  been  obferved,  every  Angel  is  diftin^lly  his 
own  Affection,  and  the  Form  of  Heaven  is  the  Form 
of  all  the  Affections  of  the  Divine  Love  there.  No 
other  can  unite  all  thefe  Affedtions  into  this  Form, 
but  He  who  is  Love  itfelf  and  at  the  fame  Time 
Wifdom  itfelf,  and  at  once  Infinite  and  Eternal  ; 
for  Infinite  and  Eternal  is  in  all  of  the  Form,  Infi^ 
nite  in  its  Conjundion,  and  Eternal  in  its  Perpetu* 
ity  ;  if  Infinite  and  Eternal  w^ere  taken  away  froni 
it,  it  would  fall  in  Pieces  in  a  Moment :  Who  elfe 
can  unite  Affections  into  Form  ?  yea,  who  elfe  can 
unite  one  Conflituent  thereof  ?  for  one  Confiituent 
thereof  cannot  be  united  but  from  the  univerfal  Idea 
of  all,  and  the  univerfal  Idea  of  all  from  the  partic- 
ular Idea  of  each  ;  There  are  Myriads  of  Myriads 
who  compofe  that  Form,  and  there  are  Myriads 
who  enter  it  every  Year,  and  will  do  fo  to  Eternity  : 
All  Infants  enter  it,  and  as  many  Adults  as  there  are 
Affections  of  the  Love  of  Good.  From  thefe  Con- 
fiderations again  may  be  feen  an  Image  of  what  is 
Infinite  and  Eternal  in  the  Angelic  Heaven. 

64.  V.  That  to  rcfpcB  what  is  Infinite  and  Eternal 
in  forming  the  Angelic  Heaven^  that  it  may  be  before 

'     the 


The  Divine  Provibence.         loi 

the  Lord  as  one  Man^  which  is  bis  Image^  is  the  Inti- 
mum  \^in?7io/i  End  or  Purpofe']  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, That  the  univerfal  Heaven  is  as  one  Man 
before  the  Lord,  and  in  like  Manner  every  Society 
in  Heaven,  and  that  hence  it  is,  that  every  Angel  is 
in  a  perfeQ:  human  Form,  and  that  this  is  the  Cafe, 
becaufe  God  the  Creator,  who  is  the  Lord  from 
Eternity,  is  a  Man,  may  be  feen  in  the  Work  on 
Heaven  a^d  Hell,  n.  59  to  86.  Alfo  that  hence 
there  is  a  Correfpondence  of  all  Things  of  Heaven 
with  all  Things  of  Man,  n.  87  to  102.  That  the 
univerfal  Heaven  is  as  one  Man,  hath  not  been  ken 
by  me,  becaufe  the  univerfal  Heaven  cannot  be  feen 
by  any  but  the  Lord  only  ;  but  that  an  entire  Soci- 
ety of  Heaven,  greater  or  lefler,  appeareth  as  one 
Man,  hath  fometimes  been  feen,  and  then  it  was 
told  me,  that  the  greateft  Society,  which  is  Heaven 
in  its  whole  Complex,  appeareth  in  like  Manner, 
J^ut  before  the  Lord  ;  and  that  this  is  the  Reafon 
why  every  Angel  is  in  all  the  particulars  of  his 
Form,  a  M$n. 

6^.  Forafmuch  as  the  univerfal  Heaven  in  the 
Sight  of  the  Lord  is  as  one  Man,  therefore  Heaven 
is  difllngulllied  into  as  many  common  Societies  as 
there  are  Organs,  Vifcera,  and  Members  in  Man  ; 
and  each  common  Society  into  as  many  lefs  com- 
mon or  particular  Societies,  as  there  are  larger  Farts 
in  each  Vifcus  or  Organ  :  From  which  Con (1  dera- 
tion it  is  evident  what  Heaven  is.  Now  forafmuch 
as  the  Lord  is  perfed  Man,  and  Heaven  is  the  Image 
of  Him,  therefore  to  be  in  Heaven,  is  called  being 
in  the  Lord  ;  that  the  Lord  is  perfecl:  Man,  may 
be  feen  in   the  Tieatife  on   The  Divine   Love 

AND 


102    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

AND  THE  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  ii  to  13,  n.  285 
to  289. 

66.  From  thefe  Confideratlons  this  Arcanum, 
•which  may  be  called  Angelic,  may  in  fome  Meafure 
be  feen,  that  every  Affection  of  Good,  and  at 
the  fame  Time  of  Truth,  in  its  Form  is  Man  ;  for 
whatfoever  proceedeth  from  the  Lord,  deiiveth  from 
his  Divine  Love  that  it  is  an  Affedion  of  Good,  and 
from  his  Divine  Wifdom  that  it  is  an  Affedion  of 
Truth.  The  Affe6lion  of  Truth,  which  proceedeth 
from  the  Lord,  appears  as  Perception,  and  thence 
Thought  of  Truth  in  Angel  and  Man,  by  Reafon 
that  Perception  and  Thought  are  attended  to,  and 
the  Affedlion  from  which  they  proceed  but  little, 
which  neverthelefs  proceeds  from  the  Lord  with  the 
Affeclion  of  Truth  as  one. 

6y,  Now  forafm.uch  as  Man  by  Creation  is  a 
Heaven  in  its  leaft  Form,  and  thence  an  Image  of 
the  Lord ;  and  forafmuch  as  Heaven  confifls  of  as 
many  Affedions  as  there  are  Angels,  and  every  Af- 
fedion  in  its  Form  is  a  Man,  it  follows,  that  it  is  a 
Continuum  (continual  Operation  or  Endeavour)  of 
the  Divine  Providence,  that  Man  may  be  made  a 
Heaven  in  Form,  and  thence  an  Image  of  the  Lord ; 
and  forafmuch  as  this  is  done  by  the  Affedion  of 
Good  and  Truth,  it  is  a  Continuum  of  the  Divine 
Providence  that  Man  fnould  be  made  that  Affedion  : 
This  therefore  is  the  Continuum  of  the  Divine 
Providence  ;  but  its  Intimum  (inmofl  End  or  Pur- 
pofe)  is,  that  Man  fhould  be  in  this  or  that  Society 
in  Heaven,  or  in  this  or  that  Part  in  the  Divine  ce- 
leftial  Man,  for  fo  he  is  in  the  Lord.  But  this  is  ef- 
feded  with  thofe,  whom  the  Lord  can  lead  to  Heav- 
en ; 


The  DiviNi:  Providein'ce.         103 

^n ;  and  whereas  the  Lord  forefeeth  this,  he  alfo 
continually  provideth  that  Man  fhould  be  made 
fuch  ;  for  fo  every  one,  who  faifereth  himfelf  to 
be  led  to  Heaven,  is  prepared  for  his  Place  in 
Heaven. 

68.  Heaven,  as  was  faid  above,  is  divided  into  as 
many  Societies,  as  there  are  Organs,  Vifcera,  and 
Members  in  Man,  and  in  thefe,  no  one  Part  can  be 
in  any  other  Place  than  its  own :  Since  therefore 
Angels  are  fuch  Parts  in  the  Divine  celeflial  Man, 
and  no  others  are  made  Angels  but  fuch  as  had 
been  Men  in  the  World,  it  follows,  that  the  Man 
who  fuffers  himfelf  to  be  led  to  Heaven,  is  continu* 
ally  prepared  by  the  Lord  for  his  Place,  which  is 
done  by  fuch  an  AfFedion  of  Good  and  Truth  as 
correfponds  thereto  :  Into  this  Place  alfo  every  Man 
Angel,  after  his  Departure  out  of  the  World,  is  en* 
rolled.  This  is  the  Int'mwn  of  the  Divine  Providence 
concerning  Heaven. 

69.  But  the  Man  who  doth  not  fuffer  himfelf  to 
be  led  to,  and  enrolled  in  Heaven,  is  prepared  for 
his  Place  in  Hell  j  for  Man  from  himfelf  continu- 
ally tends  to  the  lowed  Hell,  but  is  continually  with- 
held by  the  Lord ;  and  he,  who  cannot  be  with* 
held,  is  prepared  for  a  certain  Place  there,  in  which 
he  is  alfo  enrolled  immediately  after  his  Departure 
out  of  the  World  ;  and  this  Place  there  is  oppofite 
to  a  certain  Place  in  Fleaven,  for  Hell  is  in  Oppofi- 
tion  to  Heaven  ;  wherefore  as  a  Man  Angel,  ac- 
cording to  the  Affection  of  Good  and  Truth,  hath 
his  Place  afligned  him  in  Heaven,  fo  a  Man  Devil , 
according  to  the  Affedion  of  Evil  and  the  Falfe, 
hath  his  Place  afligned  him  in  Hell  j  for  two  Op- 

pofitei^, 


I04    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

pofites,  difpofed  in  a  fimilar  Situation  againft  ekch 
other,  are  contained  in  Connexion.  This  is  the 
hitwmjn  of  the  Divine  Providence  concerning 
Hell. 


That  there  are  Laws  of  the  Divine  Prov-s 
idence,  which  are  unknown  to  Men. 

70.  ^  i  ^flAT  there  h  a  Divine  Providence,  is 
1  knov/n,  but  what  the  Nature  of  it  is,  ij 
not  known.  The  Ground  and  Reafon  why  it  is^ 
not  known  what  the  Nature  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence is,  is  becaufe  its  Laws  are  fecret,  hitherto  hid 
in  Wifdotn  among  the  Angels,  but  now  to  be  reveal- 
ed, in  Order  that  that  may  be  afcribed  to  the  Lord 
which  is  His,  and  not  to  any  Man  that  which  is  not 
his :  For  mofl  People  in  the  World  attribute  all 
Things  to  themfelves,  and  to  their  own  Prudence, 
and  what  they  cannot  fo  attribute,  they  call  Acci- 
dents and  Contingencies,  not  knowing  that  human 
Prudence  is  Nothing,  and  that  Accidents  and  Con- 
tingencies are  vain  Words.  It  is  faid  that  the  Laws^ 
of  the  Divine  Providence  are  Arcana,  hitherto  hid 
in  W^ifdom  among  the  Angels ;  the  Reafon  is,  be- 
caufe in  the  Chriftian  World  the  Underflanding  in 
Things  Divine  is  clofed  by  Rehgion,  and  hence  it  is 
become  fo  dull  and  reitive  in  fuch  Things,  that 
Man  could  not,  becaufe  he  would  not,  or  would  not 
becaufe  he  could  not,  under ftaud  any  Thing  eife  of 

the 


The  Divine  Providence.         105 

the  Divine  Providence  than  barely  that  it  exifls, 
and  reafon  whether  it  doth  exiit  or  not,  as  like  wife 
whether  it  is  only  univerfal,  or  particular  alio  ;  the 
Underftanding  clofed  up  by  Religion  in  Things  Di- 
vine could  proceed  no  further.  But  forafuiuch  as 
it  is  acknowledged  in  the  Church,  that  Man  can- 
not from "^ himfelf  do  Good  wdiich  in  irfcif  is  really 
Good,  neither  can  from  himfelf  thirik  1  ruth  which 
in  itfelf  is  really  True,  and  thefe  are  one  with  the 
Divine  Providence,  fo  that  a  Belief  in  one  depends 
upon  a  Belief  in  the  other,  therefore  left  one  ihoulJ 
be  affirmed  and  the  other  denied,  and  fo  both  fall 
to  the  Ground,  it  is  fully  to  be  revealed,  what  the 
Divine  Providence  is :  This  however  cannot  be  re* 
vealed,  unlefs  the  Laws  are  difclofed,  by  which  the 
Lord  provides  and  governs  what  relates  to  the  Will 
and  Underftanding  of  Man  ;  for  thefe  Laws  enable 
Man  to  know  the  Nature  and  Quality  of  Providence, 
and  whofo  knoweth  the  Nature  and  Quality  of  Prov- 
jdence,  he  and  no  other  can  acknowledge  it,  for  in 
fuch  Cafe  he  feeth  it :  This  is  the  Reafon,  why  the 
Laws  of  the  Divine  Providence,  hitherto  hid  in 
Wifdom  among  the  Angels,  are  now  revealed. 


That 


io6    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

That  it  is  a  Lazv  of  the  Divine  Provu 
dcjice,  that  Man  Jhould  ad  from  Lib^ 
eiiy  according  to  Reafon. 


i 


'HAT  Mat!  hath  the  Llbefty  of  thinking^ 
and  willing  as  he  pleafeth,  but  not  thd 
Liberty  cf  fpeaking  whatfoever  he  thinketh,  nor  the 
Liberty  of  doing  whatfoever  he  willeth,  is  well 
known  :  Wherefore  the  Liberty,  which  is  here  un- 
derftood,  is  fpiritual  Liberty,  and  not  natural  Liber- 
ty, except  when  they  make  one  ;  for  to  think  and  to 
wdll  is  fpiritual,  but  to  fpeak  and  to  zd:  is  natural : 
They  are  diflinguifhed  alfd  manifeflly  in  Man ;  for 
Man  can  think  what  he  doth  not  fpeak,  and  will 
what  he  doth  not  atl ;  from  which  Confideration 
it  is  evident,  that  what  is  fpiritual  and  what  is  nat- 
ural in  Man  are  difcriminated,  wherefore  Man  can- 
not pafs  from  one  to  the  other,  but  by  Determina- 
tion ',  which  Determination  may  be  compared  to  a 
Door,  which  is  firfl  to  be  fliut  and  opened  ;  but  this 
Door  (lands  as  It  were  open  in  thofe  who  think  and 
will  from  Reafon  according  to  the  civil  Laws  of  the 
Kingdom  and  the  moral  Laws  of  Society,  for  thefc 
fpeak  what  they  think,  and  do  what  they  will ;  but 
this  Door  flands  as  it  were  fhut  in  thofe  who  think 
and  will  contrary  to  thofe  Laws :  He  who  attend- 
eth  to  his  Wills  and  confequent  Ads,  will  perceive 
that  fuch  a  Determination  intercedeth,  and  fome- 
times  feveral  Times  in  one  Difcourfe,  and  in  one  Ac- 
tion.    This  is  premifed,  in  Order  that  it  may  be 

known. 


The  Divine  Providence. 


107 


known,  that  by  afting  from  Liberty  according  to 
Reafon,  is  meant  to  think  and  will  freely,  and  thence 
to  fpeak  and  do  freely,  what  is  according  to  Rea- 
fon. 

72,  But  forafmuch  as  there  are  few  who  know, 
that  this  Law  can  be  a  Law  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, cfpecially  for  this  Reafon,  becaufe  hereby 
Man  hath  alfo  the  Liberty  of  thinking  what  is  E- 
vil  and  Falfe,  and  yet  the  Divine  Providence  contin- 
ually leadeth  Man  to  think  and  will  what  is  Good 
and  True,  therefore  for  the  clearer  Perception  how 
this  is,  we  fliall  proceed  diftinclly,  and  according  to 
the  following  Order :  L  That  Man  hath  Reafon 
and  Free- Will,  or  Rationality  and  Liberty  ;  and  that 
thefe  two  Faculties  are  from  the  Lord  in  Man.  IL 
That  whatfoever  a  Man  doeth  from  Liberty,  wheth- 
er it  be  of  Reafon  or  not  of  Reafon,  provided  it  be 
according  to  his  Reafon,  appeareth  to  him  as  his 
own.  IlL  That  whatfoever  Man  doeth  from  Liber- 
ty, according  to  his  Thought,  is  appropriated  to 
him  as  his  own,  and  remaineth.  IV.  That 
Man  by  thefe  two  Faculties  is  reformed  and  re- 
generated of  the  Lord  j  and  that  without  them  he 
cannot  be  reformed  and  regenerated.  V.  That 
Man  by  Means  of  thefe  two  Faculties  can  be  fo  far 
reformed  and  regenerated,  as  he  can  by  them  be  led 
to  acknowledge,  that  all  the  Good  and  Truth  w  hich 
he  thinketh  and  doeth,  is  from  the  Lord,  and  not 
from  himfelf.  VL  That  the  Conjunclion  of  the 
Lord  with  Man,  and  the  reciprocal  Conjunclion  of 
Man  wnth  the  Lord,  is  effected  by  thefe  two  Facul- 
ties.  VIL  That  the  Lord  preferveth  thefe  two  Fac- 
ulties in  Man  inviolable,  and  as  it  were  facred  in 

every 


io8     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

every  ProgrelTion  of  his  Divine  Providence.  VIII, 
That  therefore  it  is  of  the  Divine  Providence^ 
that  Man  fliould  ad  from  Liberty  according  to 
Reafon. 

73.  I.  That  Man  hath  Reafon  and  Free-Will^  or 
Rationality  and  Liberty  ;  and  that  thefe  two  Faculties 
are  from  the  Lord  in  Man,  That  Man  hath  the  Fac- 
ulty of  Underftanding,  which  is  Rationality,  and 
the  Faculty  of  thinking,  willing,  fpeaking,  and 
doing  that  which  he  underftands,  which  is  Lib- 
erty ;  and  that  thefe  two  Faculties  are  from 
the  Lord  in  Man,  was  difculTed  in  the  Treatife 
on  The  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wis- 
dom, n.  264  to  270,  425  ;  and  alfo  above.  But 
forafmuch  as  feveral  Doubts  may  occur  refpeding 
both  thefe  Faculties,  when  they  are  thought  of,  I  am 
defirous  in  this  preliminary  Part  to  add  a  few  Obfer^ 
vations  concerning  the  Liberty  of  acting  according 
to  Reafon  in  Man.  It  is  however  to  be  noted  firil, 
that  all  Liberty  is  of  Love,  infomuch  that  Love  and 
Liberty  are  one  ;  and  whereas  Love  is  the  Life  of 
Man,  Liberty  alfo  is  of  his  Life  ;  for  every  Delight 
which  a  Man  hath,  is  from  his  Love,  no  Delight  be* 
ing  given  from  any  other  Source,  and  to  act  from 
the  Delight  of  Love  is  to  ad  from  Liberty,  for  De^ 
light  leadeth  a  Man  as  a  River  doth  that  which  is 
carried  away  by  its  Stream,  Now  forafmuch  as 
there  are  feveral  Kinds  of  Love,  fome  concordant, 
and  fome  difcordant,  it  follows,  that  in  like  Manner 
there  are  feveral  Kinds  of  Liberty  :  They  may 
however  in  general  be  reduced  to  three  Kinds, 
Natural,  Rational,  and  Spiritual.  Natural  Lib- 
35RTY  every  Man  hath  by  Virtue  of  the  hereditary 

Principle 


The  Divine  Providence.         109 

principle  received  at  his  Birth  ;  under  the  Influence 
of  this  Principle  Man  loveth  Nothing  elfe  but  him- 
felf  and  the  World  ;  his  firil  Life  is  Nothing  elfe  ; 
and  forafmuch  as   all  Evils  exill  from  thefe  two 
Loves,  and  thence  Evils  alfo  become  Objeds  of  Love, 
it  follows,  that  to  think  and  will  Evils  is  his  natur- 
al Liberty  ;  and  that  when  he  hath  confirmed  thera  ^. 
in  himfelf  by  Reafonings,  he  doeth  them  from  Lib- 
erty according  to  his   Reafon :  When  Man  thus 
adeth,  it  is  by  Virtue  of  his  Faculty  which  is  called 
Liberty ;  and  when  he  thus  conhrmeth  Evils,  it  is' 
by  Virtue  of  his  Faculty  which  is  called  Rationality, 
As  for  Example  ;  it  is  by  Virtue  of  the  Love  to 
which  Man  is  born,  that  he  wilieth  to  commit  Adul- 
tery, Frauds,  Blafphemiss,  Revenges ;  and  when 
he  confirmeth  thefe  Evils  in  himfelf,  and  thereby 
maketh  them  lawful,  then  from  the  Delight  of  the 
Love  of  them  he  thinketh  and  wilieth  them  freely 
as  it  were  according  to  Reafon,  and  fo  far  as  civil 
Laws  do  not  reftrain,  fpeaketh  and  doeth  them  :  It 
is  from  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord,  that  Man 
is  allowed  fo  to  do,  becaufe  he  hath  Free- Yv  ill   or 
Liberty.     Man  is  in  this  Liberty  by  Nature,  becaufe 
he  is  fo  by  Birth  ;  and  they  are  in  this  Liberty  who 
have  confirmed  it  in  themfelves  by  Reafonings  from 
the  Delight  of  the  Love  of  Self  and  of  the  World. 
Rational  Liberty  is  grounded  in  the  Love  of 
Fame  for  the  Sake  of  Honour  or  Intereft ;  the  De- 
light of  this  Love  is  to  appear  in  External  Form  as 
a  moral  Man  ;  and  forafmuch  as  he  loveth  this  Rep- 
utation, he  doth  not  defraud,  nor  commit  Adultery, 
jior  indulge  in  a  Spirit  of  Revenge  or  Blafphemy  ; 
and  whereas  he  confirms  himfelf  by  his  Reafon  in 

abflaining 


no   Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

abflaining  from  fuch  Crimes,  he  alfo  from  Liber- 
ty accoiding  to  his  Reafon  adeth  fmcerely,  juilly, 
challely,  and  friendly ;  yea  he  can  from  Reafon 
fpeak  well  in  Favour  of  fuch  Virtues :  But  if  hi^ 
Rational  [Faculty]  is  only  natul-al,  and  not  at  the 
fame  Time  fpi ritual,  this  Liberty  is  only  external 
Liberty,  and  not  internal  Liberty,  for  neverthelefs 
interiorly  he  doth  not  love  thofe  Virtues,  but  only 
exteriorly  for  the  Sake  of  Reputation,  as  was  faid ; 
wherefore  the  good  Adions  which  he  doeth  are  in 
themfelves  not  good :  He  can  alfo  fay,  that  they 
ought  to  be  done  for  the  Sake  of  the  public  Good, 
but  this  he  doth  not  fay  from  any  Love  of  the 
public  Good,  but  from  the  Love  of  his  own  Honour 
or  Interell ;  therefore  his  Liberty  deriveth  Nothing 
from  the  Love  of  the  public  Good,  neither  doth 
his  Reafon,  for  this  affen^cth  to  his  Love :  Where* 
fore  this  rational  Liberty  is  interior  natural  Liberty. 
This  Liberty  allc>,  frora  the  Divine  Providence  of  the 
Lord,  is  left  to  every  one.  Spiritual  Liberty 
is  grounded  in  the  Love  of  Eternal  Life  ;  into  this 
Love  2nd  its  Delight  none  cometh,  but  he  who 
thinks  that  Evils  are  Sins,  and  therefore  doth  not 
will  them,  and  at  the  fame  Time  hath  Refped  to  the 
Lord  :  As  foon  as  Man  doeth  this,  he  is  in  that  Lib- 
erty ;  for  no  one  hath  power  not  to  will  Evils 
becaufe  they  are  Sins,  and  therefore  not  to  do  them, 
except  it  be  from  interior  or  fuperior  Liberty,  which 
is  from  his  interior  or  fuperior  Love.  This  Liber- 
ty doth  not  appear  in  the  Beginning  as  Liberty, 
but  ftill  it  is  fo,  and  afterwards  it  appeareth  to  be  fo, 
and  then  Man  acleth  from  real  Liberty  according 
to  real  Reafon,  by  thinking,  willing,  fpeaking,  and 

%ing 


^HE  Divine  Providence.         tii 

doing  what  Is  good  and  true.  This  Liberty  increaf- 
cth,  as  natural  Liberty  decreafeth  and  becometh  a 
Servant,  arid  it  joineth  itfelf  with  rational  Libert)^, 
and  purifieth  it.  Every  one  may  come  into  this 
Liberty,  if  fo  be  he  wiileth  to  think  that  there  is  fuch 
a  Thing  as  eternal  Life,  and  that  the  DeHght  and 
BlefTednefs  of  Life  in  Time  for  a  Time,  is  only  as  a 
tranfient  Shadow,  compared  with  the  DeHght  and 
BlefTednefs  of  Life  in  Eternity  to  Eternity  ;  and  this 
a  Man  may  think  if  he  will,  becaufe  he  hath  Ration- 
ality and  Liberty,  and  becaufe  the  Lord,  from  whom 
thefe  two  Faculties  are  derived,  continually  giveth" 
him  Power. 

74.  IL  That  whatfoever  a  Man  doeth  from  Libera 
iy,  whether  it  be  of  Reafoji  or  not  of  Reafon,  provided 
it  be  accordmg  to  his  Reafon,  appeareth  to  him  as  his 
own.  What  Rationality  is,  and  what  Liberty,  which 
are  proper  to  Man,  cannot  be  known  more  clearly, 
than  by  a  Comparifon  of  Men  with  Bealls,  for  the 
latter  have  not  any  Rationality  or  Faculty  of  under- 
flanding,  nor  any  Liberty  or  Faculty  of  wiUing  free- 
ly, and  thence  they  have  no  Underflanding  and 
Will,  but  inftead  of  Underibnding  they  have  Sci- 
ence, and  inftead  of  Will  Affedtion,  both  natural  : 
And  whereas  they  have  not  thefe  two  Faculties, 
therefore  neither  have  they  Thought,  but  inftead  of 
Thought  internal  Sight,  which  maketh  one  with 
their  external  Sight  by  Correfpondence.  Every 
Affection  hath  its  Companion  as  a  Confort  ;  the 
Affedion  of  natural  Love  hath  Science,  the  Affedion 
of  fpiritual  Love  Intelligence,  and  the  Affection  of 
celeftial  Love  Wifdonl  :  For  Affedlon  without  its 
Companion,  or  as  it  were  connubial  Partner,  is  not 

any 


112    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

any  Thing,  for  it  is  like  an  Eife  (Being)  without 
Exiftence,  or  like  a  Sabftance  without  a  Form,  of 
\\'hich  not  any  Thing  can  be  predicated  ;  hence  it  is, 
that  in  every  created  Thing  there  is  Something, 
which  may  be  referred  to  the  Marriage  of  Good  and 
Truth,  as  hath  been  abundantly  fhewn  above  ;  in 
Bead  s  there  is  a  Marriage  of  Affedion  and  Science, 
the  AfTeclion  herein  being  that  of  natural  Good, 
and  the  Science  that  of  natural  Truth.  Now  foraf- 
iDUx:h  as  Affection  and  Science  in  Beafls  ad  entirely 
as  one,  and  their  AfFedion  canot  be  elevated  above 
their  Science,  neither  can  their  Science  be  elevated 
above  their  Affedion,  and  if  they  are'elevated,  they 
are  elevated  both  together,  and  forafmuch  as  they 
have  not  any  fpiritual  Mind,  to  which,  or  into  the 
Light  and  Heat  of  which  they  can  be  elevated,  there- 
fore they  have  not  the  Faculty  of  underflanding  or 
Rationality,  nor  the  Faculty  of  willing  freely  or 
Liberty,  but  only  mere  natural  Affedion  with  its 
Science  ;  the  natural  Affedion,  which  they  have,  is 
the  Affedion  of  feeding  themfelves,  providing  an 
Habitation,  propagating  their  Kind,  fhunning  and 
flying  from  Harm,  with  all  Science  or  Knowledge 
requifite  thereto  ;  and  forafmuch  as  their  State  of 
Life  is  fuch,  they  cannot  think  within  themfelves,  I 
will  do  this,  and  will  not  do  that,  nor  can  they  think,- 
1  know  or  do  not  know  fuch  a  Thing,  ftill  lefs,  I 
underftand  fuch  a  Thing,  or  1  love  fuch  a  Thing, 
but  they  are  carried  away  of  their  particular  Affec- 
tion by  Science,  without  Rationality  and  Liberty- 
The  Caufe  or  Ground  of  their  being  fo  carried  away 
is  not  from  the  natural,  but  from  the  fpiritual  World  ; 
for  there  doth  not  exifl  any  Thing  in  the  natural 

World 


The  Divine  Providence.         113 

World^  unGonneflcd  with  the  fpiritual  World  ;  ev- 
ery Caufe  producing  an  Eil\^cl  is  from  thence  : 
Son)ethin'g  on  this  Subject  may  be  fccii  alio  below, 
n.  96. 

y^.  It  iii  otherwife  with  Man,  who  hath  not  only 
the  AfFe6"^ion  of  natural  Love,  but  alio  the  Affedion 
of  fpiritual  Love,  and  the  Affection  of  celeftid  Love  j 
for  the  Human  Mind  is  of  three  De^i^rees,  as  was 
ihewn   in   the  Treatifc   concerning   The  Divine 
Love  and  Tpie  Divine  Wisdom,  Part  the  Third  : 
Wherefore  Man  can  be  elevated  from  natural  Sci- 
ence into  fpiritual  Intelligence,  and  from  thence  into 
celeitial  WilUom,  and  from  thefe  two,  Intelligence 
and  Wifdom,  can  look  up  to  the  Lord,  and  fo  be 
joined  unto  him,  whereby  he  liveth  to  Eternity  ; 
but  this  Elevation  as  to  Affection  would  not  be  pof- 
fible,  if  he  had  not  the  Faculty  of  elevating  his  Un- 
deritanding  from  a  Principle  of  Rationality,   and 
willing  to  do  fo  from  a  Principle  of  Liberty.     Man 
by  thefe  two  Facuhies  can  think  within  himfelf  of 
the  Things   which  he  perceiveth  with  his   bodily 
Senfes  without  himfelf,  and  can  alfo  think  fupcrioi  ly 
(or  in  a  fuperior  Sphere)  of  the  Things  which  he 
thinketh  inferiorly  (or  in  an  inferior  Sphere  :)  For 
every  one  can  fay,  I  thought  this  or  I  think  this,  alfo 
I  willed  this  and  I  will  this,  and  likewife  I  under- 
ftand  this  that  it  is  fo,  I  love  this  becaufe  it  i^  fuch, 
and  fo  on  ;  hence  it  is  evident,  that  Man  thinketh 
even  above  Thought,  and  feeth  the  thinking  Princi- 
ple as  it  were  below  him  ;  this  [Faculty]  Man  hath 
from  Rationality  and  from  Liberty,  from  Rationali- 
ty in  that  he  can  think  fuperiorly  (or  in  a  fuperior 
Sphere,)  from  Liberty  in  that  from  Affe6tion  he 
I*'  willeth 


114    Angelic  Wis^dom  concerning 

willeth  fo  to  think,  for  if  he  had  not  the  Liberty 
of  fo  thinking,  he  v/ould  not  have  the  Will,  and 
confequently  neither  the  Thought.  Wherefore 
they  who  will  not  underfland  any  Thing  but  what 
is  of  the  World  and  its  Nature,  and  not  what  is 
moral  and  fpiritual  Good  and  Truth,  cannot  be  ele- 
vated from  Knowledge  or  Science  into  Intelligence, 
and  Hill  lefs  into  Wildom,  for  they  have  obftrudled 
thofe  Faculties  •,  wherefore  they  make  themfelves  to 
be  no  further  Men,  than  that  from  their  inherent 
Rationahty  and  Liberty  they  can  underfland  if  they 
will,  and  alfo  that  they  have  the  Power  to  wilL 
From  thefe  two  Faculties  Man  hath  the  Power  to 
think,  and  from  Thought  to  fpeak  ;  in  other  Fac- 
ulties Men  are  not  Men,  but  Beads,  and  indeed 
from  the  Abufe  of  thefe  Faculties  worfe  than 
Beads. 

76.  Every  one  from  Rationality  not  obfcured 
may  fee  or  comprehend,  that  Man,  without  an  Ap- 
pearance that  it  is  his  own,  cannot  be  in  any  Affec- 
tion of  knowing,  nor  in  any  Affeclion  of  underiland- 
ing,  for  all  Delight  and  Pleafure,  therefore  every 
Thing  of  the  Will,  i&  from  the  Affe6l:ion  which  is  of 
Love  ;  who  can  will  to  know  and  will  to  underfland, 
unlefs  he  hath  fome  Pleafure  of  Affection  ?  And 
who  can  have  that  Pleafure  of  AfFedion,  unlefs  that 
by  which  he  is  affeded  appeareth  as  his  own  ?  If  it 
were  none  of  his,  but  all  of  another^s,  that  is,  if  any 
one  from  his  own  Affedions  fhould  infufe  any  Thing 
into  the  Mind  of  another,  who  had  no  Affedions  of 
knowing  and  underflanding  as  from  himfelf,  would 
the  other  receive  it,  yea,  would  he  be  able  to  re- 
ceive it,  would  he  not  be  as  that  which  is  called 

*  Brute^, 


The  Divine  Providente*         xij^ 

Brute,  or  as  a  Stock  ?  Hence  it  may  appear  mani- 
feftly,  that  although  every  Thing  enters  by  Influx, 
•which  a  Man  perceiveth  and  thence  thinketh  and 
knoweth,  and  according  to  Perception  willeth  and 
doeth.  Hill  it  is  of  the  Divine  Providence  of  the 
Lord,  that  it  Ihould  appear  as  Man's,  for  otherwife, 
as  was  obferved,  Man  would  receive  Nothing,  there- 
fore could  not  be  gifted  with  any  Intelligence  and 
Wifdom.  It  is  well  known,  that  all  Good  and 
Truth  is  not  Man's  but  the  Lord's,  and  yet  that  it 
appeareth  to  Man  as  his  ov/n,  and  forafrnuch  as  all 
Good  and  Truth  fo  appeareth,  all  Things  alfo  of 
the  Church  and  of  Heaven,  therefore  all  Things  of 
Love  and  \¥ifdom,  alfo  of  Charity  and  Faith,  fo  ap- 
pear, and  yet  none  of  them  is  Man's  ;  no  one  can 
receive  them  from  the  Lord,  unlefs  it  appears  to 
him  that  he  perceiveth  them  as  from  himfelf.  From 
thefe  Confiderations  this  Truth  may  be  mamfed:, 
that  whatfoever  a  Man  doeth  from  Liberty,  whether 
it  be  of  Reafon  or  not  of  Reafon,  provided  it  be 
according  to  his  Reafon,  appeareth  to  him  as  his 
own. 

77.  Who  is  not  able  to  underdand,  by  Virtue  of 
his  Faculty,  which  is  called  Rationality,  that  this  or 
that  Good  is  ufeful  to  the  Community,  and  that  thi^ 
or  that  Evil  is  noxious  to  the  Community,  as  that 
Juflice,  Sincerity,  and  conjugal  Chaftfty,  are  ufeful 
to  the  Community,  and  that  Injuflice,  Infmcerity^ 
and  Whoredom  committed  with  the  Wives  of  oth- 
ers, are  noxious  to  the  Community  ;  confequently 
that  thefe  Evils  in  themfelves  are  mifchievous,  and 
that  thofc  Goods  in  themfelves  are  beneficial  ?  Who 
therefore,  if  he  be  fo  difpofed,  cannot  make  thofe 

Goods 


xi6    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Goods  and  Evils  the  Goods  and  Evils  of  his  Reafon, 
jnahnuch  as  he  hath  Rationality,  and  he  hath  L-ber* 
ty  ?  And  his  Rationality  and  Liberty  difciofe  ihem- 
fclves,  appear,  govern,  and  give  him  to  perceive  andl 
tp  have  Fewer,  in  Proportion  as  he  for  the  above 
Reafons  (l^unncth  the  above  Evils  in  himfeif,  and  in. 
Proportion  as  he  doeth  this,  in  the  fame  Proponion 
he  refpe^teth  the  above  Goods,  as  a  Friend  his 
Friends.  From  thefe  Confiderations  it  is  in  Man's 
Povv'er  afterwards,  by  Virtue  of  his  Faculty,  which 
is  called  Rationality,  to  form  Conclufions  refpeding 
the  Goods  which  are  ufeful  to  the  Community  in 
the  ipiritual  World,  and  refpeding  the  Evils  which 
are  there  noxious,  if  fo  be  inH-ead  of  Evils  he  per-^ 
ceiveth  Sins,  and  inilead  of  Goods  "Works  of  Char* 
ity  ;  thele  Conclufions  alfo  a  Man  may  make  the 
Conclufions  of  his  Reafon,  if  he  will,  becaufe  he 
hath  Rationality  and  Liberty,  and  his  Rationality 
and  Liberty  difciofe  themfelves,  appear,  govern,  and 
give  him  to  perceive  and  to  have  Power,  in  Propor- 
tion as  he,fl:iunneth  the  above  Evils  as  Sins,  and  in 
Proportion  as  he  doeth  this,  in  the  fame  Proportion 
he  refpedeth  the  Goods  of  Charity,  as  one  Neigh- 
bour ddth  another  mutually  froin  Love.  Now^  for^ 
afmuch  as  the  Lord,  for  the  Sake  of  Reception  and 
Conjundion,  willeth,  that  whatfoever  Man  doeth 
freely  according  to  Reafon,  may  appear  to  him  as 
his  own,  and  this  is  according  tq  Reafon  itfelf,  it  fol- 
lows, that  Man  can,  by  Virtue  of  Reafon,  becaufe  it 
is  his  eternal  Felicity,  be  willing  to  lluiji  the  above 
Evils  as  Sins,  and  by  imploring  the  Divine  Powey 
of  the  Lord,  can  efied  what  he  willeth. 

78,    III. 


The  Divine  Providence.         117 

78.  III.   Thai  ivhatfoever  Man  doeth  from  Liberty 
according  to  bis  Thought^  is  appropriated  to  him  as  his 
own^  and  remaineth  ;  the  Reafon  is,  becaufe  the  Pro- 
prium  of  Man  and  his  Liberty  make  one  ;  the  Pio- 
prium  of  Man  is  of  his  Life,  and  what  Man  doeth 
from  his  Life,  that  he  doeth  from  Liberty  ;  more- 
over the  Proprium  of  Man  is  what  is  of  his  Love, 
for  Love  is  the  Life  of  every  one,  and  what  ]\Lin 
doeth  from  his  Life's  Love,  that  he  doeth  from  Lib- 
erty.    The  Ground  and  Reafon  why  Man  a6ceth 
from  Liberty  according  to  his  Thought,  is,  becaufe 
^whatever  is  of  the  Life  or  of  the  Love  of  any  one, 
is  alfo  the  Objed;  of  Thought,  and  is  by  Thought 
confirmed,  and  when  it  is  confirmed,  then  he  doeth 
it  from  Liberty  according  to  his  Thought ;  for  what- 
foever  a  Man  doeth,  he  doeth  from  the  Will  by  the 
Underflanding,   and  Liberty  is  of  the  Will,   and 
Thought  is  of  the  Underilanding.     Man  can  alfo 
ad  from  Liberty  contrary  to  Reafon  ;  and  likewife 
not  from  Liberty  according  to  Reafon  ;    but  fuch 
Ads  are  not  appropriated  to  Man,  being  only  the 
Ads  of  his  Lips  and  of  his  Body,  and  not  of  his 
Spirit  or  of  his  Heart  ;  but  the  Ads  which  are  of 
his  Spirit  and  of  his  Heart,  when  they  are  alfo  made 
the  Ads  of  his  Lips  and  of  his  Body,  thefe  are  ap- 
propriated to  Man  :  That  this  is  the  Cafe,  might  be 
illuilrated  by  many  Ccnfiderations,  but  this  is  not 
the  proper  Place  for  fuch  Illuftration.     By  being 
appropriated  to  Man  is  meant  to  enter  his  Life,  and 
to  be  made  of  his  Life,  confequently  to  be  made  his 
,  own  or  his  Proprium.     But  that  Man  hath  not  any 
Thing  which  is  proper  to  himfelf  (any  Proprium,) 
but  that  it  appearcth  to  himfelf  to  be  fo,  will  be 

feen 


ii8    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

^een  in  what  follows  :  We  fhall  here  only  obferve, 
that  all  the  Good  which  a  Man  doeth  from  Liberty 
according  to  Reafon,  is  appropriated  to  him  as  his 
own,  becaufe  in  thinking,  willing,  fpeaking,  and 
ailing,  it  appeareth  to  him  as  his  own  ;  neverthelefs 
Good  is  not  of  Man,  but  is  of  the  Lord  in  Man,  as 
may  be  feen  above,  n.  76.  But  how  Evil  is  appro- 
priated to  Man,  will  be  feen  in  its  proper  Article. 

79.  It  is  faid  alfo,  that  whatever  a  Man  doeth 
fi-om  Liberty  according  to  his  Reafon  remaineth  ; 
for  no  one  Thing  which  Man  hath  appropriated  to 
himfelf  can  be  eradicated,  inafmuch  as  it  is  made 
an  Objed  of  his  Love,  and  at  the  fame  Time  of  his 
Reafon,  or  of  his  Will,  and  at  the  fame  Time  of  his 
Underftanding,  and  thence  of  his  Life  :  This  may 
indeed  be  removed,  but  yet  not  call  out ;  and  when 
it  is  removed,  it  is  transferred  as  it  were  from  the 
Centre  to  the  Circumference,  and  there  abideth  :, 
This  is  meant  by  its  remaining.  As  for  example  ; 
if  a  Man  in  his  Childhood  and  Youth  hath  appro- 
priated to  himfelf  a  certain  Evil  by  doing  it  from 
the  Delight  of  his  Love,  as  if  he  hath  defrauded, 
blafphemed,  revenged,  committed  Whoredom,  then 
forafmiich  as  he  had  done  thefe  Things  from  Lib- 
erty according  to  his  Thought,  he  hath  alfo  appro- 
priated them  to  himfelf  -,  but  if  he  afterwards  re- 
penteth,  Ihunneth  them,  and  coniiders  them  as  Sins 
which  are  to  be  abhorred,  and  thus  from  Liberty 
according  to  Reafon  defideth  from  them,  then  there 
are  appropriated  to  him  Goods,  to  which  thofe  Evils 
are  oppofite  ;  thefe  Goods  then  make  the  Centre, 
and  remove  the  Evils  towards  the  Circumference, 
further  and  further,  according  to  his  Averfion  and 

Abhorrence 


The  Divine  Providence.         ng 

Abhorrence  thereof;  but  dill  they  cannot  be  fo  cad 
out,  as  to  be  faid  to  be  extirpated  ;  neverthelefs  by 
that  Removal  they  can  appear  as  it  were  extirpa- 
ted ;  which  is  effefted  by  Man's  being  detained 
from  Evils,  and  held  in  Goods  by  the  Lord  :  U'his 
is  the  Cafe  with  all  hereditary  Evil,  and  at  the  fame 
Time  with  all  adual  Evil  of  Man  :  This  alfo  I  have 
feen  proved  by  Experience  with  fome  in  Heaven, 
who,  becaufe  they  were  kept  in  Good  by  the  Lord^ 
thought  themfelves  to  be  without  Evils ;  but  to  pre- 
vent their  thinking  that  the  Good  in  which  they 
were,  was  their  own,  they  were  let  down  from 
Heaven,  and  let  into  their  Evils,  till  they  acknowl- 
edged that  they  were  in  Evils  from  themfelves,  but 
in  Goods  from  the  Lord  ;  after  which  Acknowl- 
edgment they  were  carried  back  into  Heaven.  Be 
it  known  therefore,  that  thefe  Goods  are  no  other- 
wife  appropriated  to  Man,  than  that  they  are  con- 
ftantly  of  the  Lord  in  Man,  and  that  in  Proportion 
as  Man  acknowledgeth  this,  in  the  fame  Proportion 
the  Lord  granteth,  that  Good  may  appear  to  Man 
as  his  own,  that  is,  that  Man  may  appear  to  himfelf 
to  love  his  Neighbour  or  to  have  Charity  as  from 
himfelf,  to  believe  or  to  have  Faith  as  from  himfelf, 
to  do  Good  and  to  underftand  Truth  as  from  him- 
felf, therefore  to  be  wife  as  from  himfelf  ;  from 
which  Confiderations  every  enlightened  Perfon  may 
fee,  what  and  how  fnong  the  Appearance  is,  in 
which  the  Lord  willeth  that  Man  fnould  be,  and 
the  Lord  willeth  this  for  the  Sake  of  his  Salvation, 
for  no  one  without  that  Appearance  can  be  faved. 
On  this  Subjeci:,  fee  alfo  what  is  fhewn  above, 
n*  42  to  45. 

80.    Nothing 


I20    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

80.  Nothing  is  appropriated  to  Man  which  he 
only  thinketh,  yea,  neither  which  he  thinketh  to  will, 
except  he  at  the  fame  Time  willeth  it  to  fiich  a  De- 
gree, that,  when  Opportunity  is  given,  he  doeth  it ; 
the  Reafon  is,  becaufe  when  Man  doeth  it  from  this 
Ground,  he  doeth  it  from  the  Will  by  the  Under- 
ftanding,  or  from  the  Affcdion  of  the  Will  by  the 
Thought  of  the  Underftanding :  But  fo  long  as  it 
is  an  Obje£l  of  the  1  bought  only,  it  cannot  be  ap- 
propriated, becaufe  the  UnderFcanding  doth  not  join 
itfelf  with  the  Will,  or  the  Thought  of  the  Under- 
flanding  doth  not  join  itfelf  with  the  AiFedion  of 
the  Will,  but  t'liQ  Will  and  its  AfFedion  joineth  it* 
felf  with  the  Under  (landing  and  its  Thought,  as  is 
fhewn  abundantly  in  the  Treatife  on  The  Divine 
Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,  Part  the  Fifth. 
This  is  m^ant  by  thefe  Words  of  the  Lord,  ''Not 
that  which  goetb  into  the  Mouth  defileth  a  Man^  bid 
that  which  comeih  out  of  the  Heart  through  the  Mouthy 
that  defileth  a  Man^'  Matth.  xv.  11,  17,  18,  19  ;  by 
the  Mouth  in  a  fpiritual  Senfe  is  meant  the  Thought, 
becaufe  the  Thought  fpeaketh  by  the  Mouth  ;  and 
by  the  Heart  in  that  Seufe  is  meant  the  Affedion, 
which  is  of  Love  ;  if  a  Man  thinketh  and  fpeaketh 
from  this  Affection,  then  he  defileth  himfeif :  By 
the  Heart  alfo  is  fignified  the  Affection  v/hich  is  of 
Love  or  of  the  Will,  and  by  the  Mouth  the  fhought 
which  is  of  the  Underflanding,  in  Luke,  Chap. 
vi.  45. 

81.  The  Evils  which  a  Man  thinketh  allowable, 
although  he  doeth  them  not,  are  alfo  appropriated 
to  him,  for  Allovv'ablenefs  in  Thought  is  from  the 
Will,  inafmuch  as  it  is  Confent  j  v/herefore  when  a 

Man 


The  Divine  Providence*         i^i 

Man  thinketh  any  Evil  allowable,  he  loofeneth  inter- 
nal Rellraint  relpeding  it,  and  is  kept  from  doing 
it  only  by  external  Reftraints,  which  are  Fears  ; 
and  whereas  the  Spirit  of  the  Man  favoureth  that 
Evil,  therefore  when  external  Reilraints  are  remov- 
ed, he  doeth  it  freely  ;  and  in  the  mean  Time  he 
continually  doeth  it  in  his  Spirit  :  But  on  this  Sub- 
ject fee  The  Doctrine  of  Life  for  th£  Nlw 
Jerusalem,  n.  io3  to  113. 

82.  IV.    That  Alan  by  tbefe  two  Facidtics  is  re- 
formed and  regenerated  by  the  Lord  ;  and  that  iviih- 

out  ihcni  he  cannot  be  reformed  and  regenerated.  The 
Lord  teacheth  that  unlefs  a  Man 'be  born  again,  he 
cannot  fee  the  Kingdom  of  God,  John  iii.  3,  5,  7  ; 
but  what  it  is  to  be  born  again,  or  to  be  regenerate, 
is  known  to  few  :  The  Reafon  is,  becaufe  it  hath 
not  been  known  what  Love  and  Charity  are,  and 
therefore  neither  what  Faith  is,  for  he  who  doth 
not  know  what  Love  and  Charity  are,  cannot  know 
what  Faith  is,  becaufe  Chanty  and  Faith  make  one, 
like  Good  and  Truth,  and  hke  AiTcdion  which  is 
of  the  Will,  and  Thought  which  is  of  the  Under- 
flanding  ;  concerning  v/hich  Union,  fee  the  Treatife 
on  The  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom, 
n.  427  to  431  ;  alfo  The  Doctrine  of  the  Nev/- 
Jerusalem,  n.  13  to  24*     And  above,  n.  3  to  20. 

83.  The  Reafon  why  no  Man  can  enter  into  the 
Kingdom  of  God,  unlefs  he  be  born  again,  is,  becaufe 
Man  by  an  hereditary  Principle  from  his  Parents  is 
born  to  all  kinds  of  Evils,  with  a  Faculty  that  by  the 
removal  of  thofe  Evils  he  can  be  made  fpiritual,  and 
unlefs  he  be  made  fpiritual  he  cannot  enter  into  Heav- 
en ;  from  natural  to  be  made  fpiritual,  is  to  be  born, 


122     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

arralii,  cr  to  be  reQ-enerated.  But  in  Order  that  it 
may  be  known  how  Man  is  regenerated,  thefe  three 
Things  are  to  be  confidered  ;  what  his  firlt  State  is, 
which  is  a  State  of  Damnation  ;  what  his  fecond 
State  is,  which  is  a  State  of  Reformation  ;  and  what 
his  third  State  is,  which  is  a  State  of  Regeneration. 
The  firjl  State  of  Man ^  which  is  a  State  of  Damnation y 
every  Man  hath  by  an  hereditary  Principle  from 
his  Parents,  for  Man  is  thence  born  to  the  Love  of 
Self  and  the  Love  of  the  World,  and  from  thefe 
Loves  as  Fountains,  to  Evils  of  all  Kinds  ;  the  De- 
lights of  thefe  Loves  are  the  Delights  by  which  he  is 
led,  and  thefe  Delights  caufe  him  not  to  know  that 
he  is  in  Evils ;  for  every  Delight  of  Love  is  felt  no 
otherwife  than  as  Good  ;  wherefore  alfo  Man,  un- 
lefs  he  is  regenerated,  knoweth  no  other  than  that 
to  love  himfelf  and  the  World  above  all  1  hings,  is 
eilential  Good,  and  that  to  domineer  over  all,  and 
polTefs  the  Wealth  of  all  ethers,  is  the  fupreme 
Good  r  Tills  is  the  Ground  of  all  Evil,  for  he  re- 
gardeth  no  other  Perfon  from  a  Principle  of  Love 
•but  himfelf  alone,  and  if  he  regardeth  another  from 
a  Principle  of  Love,  it  is  as  one  Devil  regardeth 
another,  or  as  one  Thief  another,  when  they  ad  as 
one.  They  who  confirm  in  themfelves  thefe  Loves, 
and  the  Evils  flowing  from  them,  from  the  Delight 
thereof,  remain  natural  and  become  fenfual-corpo- 
real  ;  and  m  their  own  Thought,  which  is  that  of 
their  Spirit,  they  are  infane  ;  but  ftill  they  can, 
while  they  are  in  the  World,  fpeak  and  ad  ration- 
ally and  wifely,  inafmuch  as  they  are  Men,  and  con- 
fequently  have  Rationality  and  Liberty,  yet  this  alfo 
they  do  from  the  Love  of  Self  and  of  the  World, 

Thefe 


The  Divine  Providence.         123 

Thefe  after  Death,  when  they  become  Spu'Its,  can- 
not have  any  other  Delight,  than  that  which  they 
had  in  their  Spirit  in  the  World,  and  that  Delight, 
is  the  Delight  of  infernal  Love,  which  is  turned  into 
undelightful,  dolorous,  and  dire,  which  in  the  Word 
is  meant  by  Hell-Torment  and  Hell-Fire.  Hence 
it  is  evident  that  the  fir  ft  State  of  Man  is  a  State  of 
Damnation  ;  and  that  they  are  in  it,  who  do  not 
fuifcr  themfelves  to  be  regenerated.  Thcfccond  State 
of  Man,  zu/jIc/j  is  a  State  of  Reformation,  is,  when 
Man  beginncth  to  think  of  Heaven  from  the  Joy 
that  is  therein,  and  thus  to  think  of  God,  from 
whom  he  hath  the  Joy  of  Heaven  ;  at  firft,  how- 
ever, he  thinks  thus  from  the  Delight  of  the  Love 
of  Self,  heavenly  Joy  being  to  him  that  Delight  ; 
but  fo  long  as  the  Delight  of  that  Love  reigns,  to- 
gether with  the  Delights  of  the  Evils  flowing  there- 
from, he  cannot  underftand  othervvife,  than  that  to 
go  to  Heaven  is  to  pour  out  Prayers,  to  hear  Preach- 
ings, to  receive  the  Lord's  Supper,  to  give  to  the 
Poor,  to  help  the  Needy,  to  endow  Churches  and 
Hofpitals,  and  fuch  like  Things ;  neither  doth  Man 
in  this  State  know  other  wife,  than  that  barely  to 
think  the  Things,  which  Religion  teacheth,  efl^ecteth 
Salvation,  whether  it  be  that  which  is  called  Faith, 
or  that  which  is  called  Faith  and  Charity  :  The 
Reafon  why  he  underflandeth  no  other,  than  that 
to  think  thefe  Things  elfedeth  Salvation,  is,  becaufe 
he  thinkcth  Nothing  of  the  Evils,  in  the  Delights  of 
which  he  is,  and  fo  long  as  their  Delights  remain, 
the  Evils  alfo  remain,  inafmuch  as  the  Dehghts 
thereof  arife  from  the  Concupifcence  of  them,  which 
Concupifcence  (Continually  infpireth  them  and  alfo 

produceth 


^24    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

produceth  them,  when  no  Fear  operates  to  prevent 
it.  So  long  as  Evils  remain  in  the  Goncupifcences, 
and  thence  in  the  Delights  of  the  Love  of  them, 
there  is  not  any  Faith,  Charity,  Piety,  Worfhip,  ex- 
cept only  in  Externals,  vi^hich  caufe  thofe  Virtues  to 
appear  before  the  World  as  if  they  exiited,  but  yet 
do  not  exill  :  They  may  therefore  be  compared  to 
Waters  flowing  from  an  impure  Fountain,  which 
cannot  be  drunk.  So  long  as  Man  is  fuch,  that  he 
thinketh  of  Heaven  and  of  God  from  Religion,  and 
Nothing  of  Evils  as  Sins,  he  is  (tiil  in  his  firfl  State  : 
But  he  cometh  into  the  fecond  State,  or  State  of 
Reformation,  when  he  beginneth  to  think  that  there 
is  fuch  a  Thing  as  Sin,  and  more  fo  when  he  think- 
eth that  this  or  that  is  a  Sin,  and  when  he  exploreth 
It  a  little  in  himfcif,  and  willeth  it  not.  The  third 
State  of  Man,  luhich  is  a  State  of  Regeneration,  is  a 
Taking  up  and  Continuation  of  the  prior  State,  and 
beginneth  when  Man  defifleth  from  Evils  as  Sins, 
and  proceedeth  as  he  fhunneth  them,  and  is  perfect- 
ed as  he  fighterh  againft  them,  and  in  this  Cafe  as 
Man  overcometh  from  the  Lord,  he  is  regenerated. 
With  the  regenerate  Man  the  Order  of  Life  is  invert- 
ed, and  from  natural  he  is  made  fpiritual  ;  for  the 
natural  Principle  feparated  from  the  fpiritual  is  con- 
trary to  Order,  and  the  fpiritual  Principle  is  accord- 
ing to  Order  5  wherefore  a  regenerate  Man  adeth 
from  Charity,  and  maketh  that  the  Principle  of  his 
Faith,  which  is  the  Principle  of  his  Charity.  But 
itill  he  is  made  no  more  fpiritual,  than  in  Proportion 
as  he  is  in  Truths ;  for  every  Man  is  regenerated  by 
Truths,  and  by  a  Life  according  to  them  ;  for  by 
Truths  he  knoweth  Life^  and  by  Life  he  doeth 

Truths  J 


The  Divine  Providence.         12^ 

Truths ;  thus  he  conjoineth  Goodnefs  and  Truth, 
which  is  the  fpiritual  Marriage,  in  which  is  Heaven. 

S^.  The  Ground  and  Reafon  why  Man  is  re- 
formed and  regenerated  by  thofe  two  FacuUies, 
w^hich  are  called  Rationality  and  Liberty,  and  that 
without  them  he  cannot  be  reformed  and  regenera- 
ted, is,  becaufe  by  Rationality  he  can  un^erlhnd 
and  know  what  Evil  is,  and  what  Good  is,  and 
thence  what  is  falfe  and  what  is  true  ;  and  by  Lib- 
erty he  can  will  that  which  he  underftandeth  and 
knoweth  :  But  fo  long  as  the  Delight  of  the  Love  of 
Evil  reigneth,  he  cannot  freely  will  what  is  good 
and  true,  and  m.ake  them  Principles  of  his  Reafon, 
wherefore  he  cannot  appropriate  them  to  himfelf  ; 
for,  as  was  (hewn  above,  the  Things  which  a  Man 
doeth  from  Liberty  according  to  Reafon,  are  appro- 
priated to  him  as  his  own,  and  unlefs  they  are  ap- 
propriated as  his  own,  Man  is  not  reformed  and 
regenerated  ;  and  then  firft  he  acleth  from  the  De- 
light of  the  Love  of  Goodnefs  and  Truth,  when  the 
Delight  of  the  Love  of  Evil  and  Falfe  is  removed  ; 
for  two  Delights  of  Love  oppofite  to  each  other  are 
not  given  at  the  fame  Time  ;  to  acl  from  the  De- 
light of  Love,  is  to  act  from  Liberty,  and  forafmuch 
as  the  Reafon  favoureth  the  Love,  it  is  alfo  to  acl 
according  to  Reafon. 

86.  Foiafmuch  as  Man,  as  well  he  who  is  wicked 
as  he  who  is  good,  hath  RationaHty  and  Liberty,  a 
wicked  as  well  as  ri  good  Man  can  underftand  Truth 
and  do  Good,  but  a  wicked  Man  cannot  do  fo  from 
Liberty  according  to  Reafon,  whereas  a  good  Man 
can,  becaufe  a  wicked  Man  is  in  the  Delight  of  the 
J-,ove  of  Evil,  but  a  good  Man  is  in  the  Delight  of 
.  V  the 


126    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

the  Love  of  Good  ;  wherefore  the  Truth  which  a 
wicked  Man  underflahdeth,  and  the  Good  which 
he  doeth,  are  not  appropriated  to  him,,  but  they  are 
appropriated  to  a  gqod  Man  ;  and  without  Appro- 
priation as  his  own.  Reformation  and  Regeneration 
are  not  given,  for  Evils  with  Fauces  are  with  the 
Wicked  as  it  were  in  the  Centre,  and  Goods  with 
Truths  in  the  Circumference  ;  but  Goods  with 
Truths  with  the  Good  are  in  the  Centre,  and  Evils 
with  Falfes  in  the  Circumference  ;  and  in  both 
Cafes  the  Things  which  are  of  the  Centre  diffufe 
themfelves  to'  the  Circumference,  as  Kcat  from  Fire 
in  the  Centre,  and  Cold  from  Ice  in  the  Centre  ; 
thus  Good  in  the  Circumference  with  the  Wicked 
is  defiled  by  the  Evils  of  the  Centre,  and  Evils  in 
the  Circumference  v/ith  ijie  Good  are  rendered 
mild  by  the  Goods  of  the  Centre  ;  and  this  is  the 
Reafon,  why  Evils  do  not  condemn  a  regenerate 
Man,  and  Goods  do  not  fave  an  unregenerate  Man. 
87.  V.  That  Man^  by  Means  of  thofe  Hvo  Facul- 
ties^ can  be  fo  far  reformed  and  regenerated^  as  he  can 
by  them  be  led  to  acknowledge^  that  all  the  Truth  and 
all  the  Goody  which  he  thlnketh  and  doeth,  is  from  the 
Lordy  and  not  from  himfclf  What  Reformation  is, 
and  what  Regeneration,  was  faid  above  ;  alfo  that 
Man,  by  thofe  two  Faculties,  Rationality' and  Lib- 
erty, .  is  reformed  and  regenerated  :  And  whereas 
this  is  effecled  by  thofe  Faculties,  it  may  be  expedi- 
ent to  fay  Something  more  concerning  them.  Man 
by  Virtue  of  Rationality  hath  Power  to  underiland, 
and  by  Virtue  of  Liberty  Pov/er  to  will,  both  as  from 
himfelf ;  but  the  Power  of  willing  Good  from  Lib- 
erty, and  thence  of  doing  it  according  to  Reafon, 

no 


The  Divine  Providence.         127 

no  one  hath  but  the  Regenerate :  A  ^)jckcd  Man 
from  Liberty  can  only  will  Evil,  and  do  it  according^ 
to  his  Thought,  which  by  Confirmations  he  maketh 
as  it  were  of  Reafon  ;  for  Evil  can  be  confirmed 
alike  as  Good,  but  Evil  by  Fallacies  and  Appear- 
ances, which,  when  they  are  confirmed,  become 
Falfes,  and  when  Evil  is  confirmed,  it  appeareth  as 
of  Reafon. 

88.  Every  one,  who  hath  any  Thought  from  in- 
terior Underflanding,  may  fee,  that  the  Power  of 
willing  (pojfe  vellcj  and  the  Power  of  underPiand- 
ing,  is  not  i"rom  Man,  but  from  Kim  who  hath  Pow- 
er itfelf  (ipfum  PoffcJ^  that  is,  who  hath  Power  in 
its  Effence  :  Confider  only,  Vv'hence  is  Power  [Abil- 
ity, or  to  be  able]  ?  Is  it  not  from  Plim  who  hath  it 
in  his  own  effential  Power,  that  is,  who  hath  it  in 
Himfelf,  and  confequentTy  from  Himfelf  ?  Where- 
fore Power  in  itfelf  is  Divine.  To  all  Power  there 
mufl  be  Leave  (Cop'ia)^  which  is  to  be  given,  and 
thus  a  Determination  from  what  is  interior  and  fu- 
perior  to  Self;  the  Eye  cannot  fee  from  itfelf,  nor 
the  Ear  hear  from  itfelf,  neither  can  the  Mouth  fpeak 
from  itfelf,  nor  the  Hands  a£l:  from  themfelves  ; 
there  mud  be  Leave  given,  and  thence  Determina- 
tion from  the  Mind;  neither  can  the  Mind  think 
and  will  this  or  that  from  itfelf,  unlefs  there  be  Some- 
thing interior  or  fuperior  which  determines  the 
Mind  to  it ;  it  is  the  fam.e  with  the  Power  of  under- 
flanding and  the  Power  of  willing,  thefe  cannot  be 
given  by  any  other  than  by  Him  who  in  Himfelf  can 
will  and  can  underdand.  From  which  Confidera- 
tions  it  is  evident,  that  thofe  two  Faculties,  which 
are  called  Rationality  and  Liberty,  are  from  the 

Lord, 


128     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Lord,  and  not  from  Man ;  and  forafmuch  as  they 
are  from  the  Lord,  it  follows,  that  Man  willeth  Noth- 
ing from  himfelf,  and  underflandeth  Nothing  from 
himfelf,  but  only  as  it  were  from  himfelf.  That 
this  is  the  Cafe,  every  one  may  confirm  in  himfelf^ 
who  knoweth  and  believeth,  that  the  Will  of  all 
Good,  and  th^  Underdanding  of  all  Truth,  is  from 
the  Lord,  and  not  from  Man.  That  Man  cannot 
take  any  Thing  from  himfelf^  and  cannot  do  any  Thing 
from  h'lnfef^  the  Word  teacheth  in  John,  Ghap.  \\u 
27.     Chap.  XV.  5. 

89.  Now  forafmuch  as  all  Volition  is  from  Love, 
and  all  Underftanding  is  from  Wifdom,  it  follows, 
that  to  be  able  to  will,  or  in  other  Words,  the  Pow- 
er of  willing,  is  from  the  Divine  Love,  and  to  be 
able  to  underftand,  or  in  other  Words,  the  Power 
of  underftanding,  is  frofti  the  Divine-  Wifdom, 
therefore  both  from  the  Lord,  who  is  Divine  Love 
itfelf  and  Divine  Wifdom  itfelf.  Hence  it  follows^ 
that  to  ad  from  Liberty  according  to  Reafon,  is 
from  no  other  Source.  Every  one  adteth  according 
to  Liberty,  becaufe  Liberty  like  Love  cannot  be  fep-r 
arated  from  Volition  ;  but  in  Man  there  is  given  in- 
terior Volition  or  interior  Will,  and  exterior  Voli- 
tion or  exterior  Will,  and  he  can  acl  according  to 
the  exterior,  and  at  the  fame  Time  not  according 
to  the  interior ;  in  this  Cafe  he  a£ls  the  Hypocrite 
and  Flatterer ;  and  yet  exterior  Volition  is  from 
Liberty,  becaufe  it  is  from  the  Love  of  appearing 
otherwife  than  he  is,  or  from  the  Love  of  fome 
Evil  which  from  the  Love  of  his  interior  Will  he  in- 
tendeth ;  but,  as  was  faid  above,  a  wicked  Man 
gannot  from  Liberty  according  to  his   Reafon  do 

any 


The  Divine  Providence.         129 

Siny  Thing  but  Evil,  for  he  cannot  fi-om  Liberty  ac- 
cording to  Reafon  do  Good  ;  he  can  indeed  do 
Good,  but  not  from  interior  Liberty,  which  is  his 
proper  Liberty,  from  which  his  exterior  Liberty  de- 
riveth  this  Property,  that  it  is  not  Good. 

90.  It  is  faid  that  man  can-  be  reformed  and  re- 
generated, in  Proportion  as  by  the  above  two  Facul- 
ties he  can  be  led  to  acknowledge  that  all  the  Good 
and  all  the  Truth  which  he  thinketh  and  doeth,  is 
from  the  Lord,  and  not  from  himfelf:  The  Reafon 
Vv'hy  Man  cannot  acknowledge  this  but  by  thofe  two 
Faculties,  is,  becaufe  thofe  two  Faculties  are  from 
the  Lord,  and  they  are  of  the  Lord  in  Man,  as  h 
evident  from  what  hath  been  faid  above  ;  where- 
fore it  follows,  that  Man  cannot  do  this  from  him- 
felf, but  from  the  Lord ;  but  (HU  he  can  do  it  as  it 
were  from  himfelf,this  th^Lord  giveth  to  every  one: 
Let  it  be  fuppofed  that  he  belie  vet  h  from  himfelf,  Hill 
when  he  becometh  wdfe,  he  will  acknowledge  that  it 
is  not  from  himfelf,  otherwife  the  Truth  which  he 
thinketh,  and  the  Good  which  he  doeth,  is  not  true 
and  good  in  itfelf,  for  the  Man  is  in. them,  and  not 
the  Lord  in  them,  and  Good  in  which  a  Man  is,  if 
it  be  for  the  Sake  of  Salvation,  is  meritorious  Good, 
but  Good  in  which  the  Lord  is,  is  not  meritorious. 

91.  But  that  the  Acknowledgment  of  the  Lord, 
and  the  Acknowledgment  that  all  Good  and  all 
Truth  is  from  Him,  caufeth  Man  to  be  reformed  and 
regenerated,  is  what  few  can  fee  with  the  Under- 
ftanding,  for  it  may  be  thought,  of  what  Confe- 
quence  is  that  Acknowledgment,  feeing  the  Lord  is 
omnipotent,  and  willeth  the  Salvation  of  all,  and 
thence  can  and  will  c&cd:  it,  if  fo  be  he  be  moved 

R  10 


130    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

to  Compaffion  ?  But  to  think  thus  is  not  from  the 
Lord,  therefore  neither  is  it  from  the  interior  Light 
of  the  Underilandings  that  iSj  from  any  Illumination; 
wherefore    what  Acknowledgment   operateth,  we 
fiiali  here  briefly  explain.     In  the  fpiritual  World, 
where  Spaces  are  only  Appearances,  Wifdom  pro- 
duceth  Prefence,  and  Love  prodaceth  Conjundion  ; 
and  vice  verfa :  There  is  given  an  Acknowledgment 
of  the  Lord  from  Wifdom,  and  there  is  given  an 
Acknowledgment  of  the  Lord  from  Love ;  the  Ac* 
knowledgment  of  the  Lord  from   Wifdom,  which 
viewed  in  itfelf  is  only  a  Knowledge  of  him,  is  giv- 
en from  Doctrine,  and  the  Acknowledgment  of  the 
Lord  from  Love  is  given  from  a  Life  according  to 
Dodrine  ;  the  latter  giveth  Conjundionj  but  the  for* 
mer  Prefence:  This  is  the  Reafon,  why  they  who 
rejed  Dodlrine  concerning  the  Lord,  remove  them- 
felves  from  him ;  and  inafmuch  as  they  alfo  reject 
Life,  they  feparate  themfelves  from  him  :  Whereas 
they,  who  do  not  reject  Doctrine,  but  Life,  fuch  are 
prefent,  yet  feparated  :  They  are  like  Friends,  who 
converfe  together,  but  do  not  mutually  love  each 
other  y  and  they  are  Uke  two,  whereof  the  one  fpeak- 
eth  with  the  other  as  a  Friend,  but  hateth  him  as  an 
Enemy.     That  this  is  the  Cafe,  is  alfo  known  from 
the  common  Idea,  that  he  who  teacheth  well,  and 
liveth  well,  is  faved,  but  not  he  who  teacheth  well 
and    liveth  ill ;    alfo  that    he  Vv^ho  doth    not  ac- 
knowledge God,  cannot  be  faved.     From  this  Con- 
fideration  it  is  evident,  what  Sort  of  a  Religion  it  is, 
to  think  of  the  Lord  from  Faith,  as  it  is  called,  and 
not  to  do  any  Thing  from  Charity ;  wherefore  the 
Lord  faith,  "  Why  call  ye  Me  Lord,  Lord^  and  do  not 

the 


The  Divine  Providence.        131 

the  Things  which  I  fay  ?  Whofocver  cometh  to  Me,  and 
heareth  7ny  Sayings,  and  doeth  them,  is  hke  a  Man 
which  built  an  Houfe,  and  laid  the  Foundation  on  a 
Rock :  But  he  that  heareth,  and  doeth  not,  is  Hke  a 
Man  that  without  a  Foundation  built  an  Houfc  upGii 
the  Ground,^*   Luke  vi.  46  to  49. 

9?,  VI.  That  the  Conjunction  of  the  Lord  with 
Man,  and  the  reciprocal  Conjundion  of  Man  with  the 
Lord,  is  tffeded  by  thofe  two  Faculties,  Conjun^lion 
with  the  Lord  and  Regeneration  are  one,  for  in 
proportion  as  any  one  is  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  in 
the  fame  Proportion  he  is  regenerate  :  Wherefore 
all  that  is  faid  above  of  Regeneration  may  be  faid 
of  Conjunction,  and  what  is  he*e  faid  of  Conjunc- 
tion may  be  faid  of  Regeneration.  That  there  is  a 
Conjunction  of  the  Lord  with  Man,  and  a  recipro- 
cal Conjundion  of  Man  with  the  Lord,  the  Lord 
himfelf  teacheih  in  John,  "  Abide  in  Me,  and  I  in 
you ;  whofo  ahideth  in  Me,  and  I  in  him,  the  fame 
bearcth  much  Fruit ^^  xv.  4,  5.  "  /az  that  Day  ycjhall 
know,  that  ye  are  in  Me,  and  I  in  you^^  xiv.  20.  Any 
one  may  fee  from  Reafon  alone,  that  there  is  not 
any  Conjundion  of  Minds,  unlefs  it  be  alfo  recipro- 
cal, and  that  reciprocation  conjoineth  ;  if  one  loveth 
another,  and  is  not  beloved  in  his  Turn,  in  this  Cafe, 
as  the  one  approacheth,  the  other  retireth  ;  but  if  he 
is  beloved  in  Return,  then  ?s  one  approacheth,  the 
other  alfo  approacheth,  and  Conjunction  is  eifecled  ; 
for  Love  willeth  to  be  beloved  ;  this  is  inherent  in  it, 
and  in  Proportion  as  It  Is  beloved  again,  in  the  fame 
Proportion  it  is  in  itfelf  and  in  its  Delight.  Hence  it  is 
evident,  that  if  the  Lord  only  loveth  Pvian,  and  were 
not  in  his  Turn  to  be  beloved  by  Man,  the  Lord 

would 


i'^2     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 


v/ould  approach,  and  Man  would  retire  ;  thus  the 
Lord  would  continually  will  to  meet  Man,  and  to 
enter  in  to  him,  and  Man  would  turn  himfelf  away 
and  depart  ;  with  thofe  who  are  in  Hell,  this  is  the 
Cale,  but  with  thofe  who  are  in  Heaven,  there  is  a 
mutual  Conjunction.  Forafmuch  as  the  Lord  will- 
eth  Conjundion  with  Man,  for  the  Sake  of  his 
Salvation,  he  provideth  alfo  that  in  Man  there 
ihould  be  Reciprocation  or  a  reciprocal  Principle ; 
the  reciprocal  Principle  in  Man  is,  that  the  Good 
which  he  willeth  and  doeth  from  Liberty,  and  the 
Truth  which  he  thinketh  and  fpeaketh  from  that 
Will  according  to  Reafon,  fhould  appear  to  him  as  be- 
ing from  himfelf;  and  that  that  Good  in  his  Will  and 
that  that  Truth  in  his  Underrtanding,  lliould  appear 
as  his  own ;  yea,  they  appear  to  Man  as  from  him- 
felf, and  as  his,  altogether  as  if  they  were  his  own, 
there  is  no  Difference  ;  attend  only  and  confider, 
v/hether  a  Man  with  any  one  of  his  Senfes  perceiv- 
eth  otherwife  ;  of  that  Appearance  as  if  from  him- 
felf, fee  above,  n.  74  to  "]"]  ;  and  of  Appropriation 
as  his  own,  n.  78  to  8i  :  The  only  Difference  is, 
that  Man  ought  to  acknowledge,  that  he  doth  not 
do  Good  and  think  Truth  from  himfelf,  but  from 
the  Lord  ;  and  confequently  that  the  Good  which 
he  doeth,  and  the  Truth  which  he  thinketh,  is  not 
his  own  :  To  think  thus  from  fome  Degree  of  Love 
in  the  Will,  becaufe  it  is  the  Truth,  eft"e6i:eth  Con- 
jundion  ;  for  thus  Man  looketh  to  the  Lord,  and 
the  Lord  looketh  to  Man. 

93.  What  the  Difference  is  between  thofe,  who 
believe  all  Good  to  be  from  the  Lord,  and  thofe 
who  believe  Good  to  be  from  themfelves,  it  hath 

been 


The  Divine  Providence.         x^j 

been  given  both  to  hear  and  to  fee  in  the  fpiritual 
World :  They  who  believe  Good  to  be  from  the 
Lord,  turn  their  Faces  to  him,  and  receive  the  De- 
light and  Bleirednefs  of  Good  ;  but  they  who  believe 
Good  to  be  from  themfelves,  look  to  themfelves, 
and  think  with  themfelves  that  they  have  deferved 
it;  and  forafmuch  as  they  look  to  themfelves,  they 
cannot  but  perceive  the  Delight  of  their  own  Good, 
which  is  not  the  Delight  of  Good,  but  the  Delight 
of  Evil  ;  for  the  Proprium  of  Man  is  Evil,  and  the 
Delight  of  Evil  perceived  as  Good  is  Hell.  They 
who  have  done  Good,  and  thought  it  was  from 
themfelves,  if  they  do  not  after  Death  receive  this 
Truth,  that  all  Good  is  from  the  Lord,  mix  with 
infernal  Genii,  and  at  length  2.6:  as  one  with  them  ; 
whereas  they  who  receive  the  above  Truth,  are 
reformed  ;  but  no  others  receive  it,  except  thofe 
who  have  refpeded  God  in  their  Life  :  To  refpect 
or  look  up  to  God  in  their  Life,  is  Nothing  elfe  but 
to  (hun  Evils  as  Sins. 

94.  Conjundion  of  the  Lord  with  Man,  :ind  re- 
ciprocal Conjunction  of  Man  with  the  Lord,  is 
eflecled  by  Man's  loving  his  Neighbour  as  himfelf, 
and  loving  the  Lord  above  all  Things :  To  love  his 
Neighbour  as  himfelf,  is  Nothing  elfe  but  not  to  act 
infmcerely  and  unjuftly  with  him,  not  to  hate  him 
and  burn  with  Revenge  agaiiifl  him.,  not  to  blaf- 
pheme  and  defame  him,  not  to  commit  Adultery 
with  his  Wife,  and  not  to  do  other  fuch  like  Things 
againfl  him  :  Who  cannot  fee,  that  they  who  do 
fuch  Things,  do  not  love  their  Neighbour  as  them- 
felves ?  but  they  who  do  not  do  fuch  Things,  be- 
eaufe  they  are  Evils  againO:  their  Neighbour,  the 

fame 


134    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

fame  deal  fmcerely,  juflly,  friendly,  and  faithfully 
■with  their  Neighbour,  and  forafmuch  as  the  Lord 
doeth  in  like  Manner,  a  reciprocal  Conjunction  is 
efFeded  ;  and  when  Conjundion  is  reciprocal,  then 
whatfoever  Man  doeth  to  his  Neighbour,  he  doeth 
from  the  Lord,  and  whatfoever  Man  doeth  from  the 
Lord  is  Good  ;  and  then  his  Neighbour  is  not  to 
him  the  mere  Perfon,  but  Good  in  the  Perfon.  To 
love  the  Lord  above  all  Things,  is  Nothing  elfe,  but 
net  to  do  Evil  to  the  Word,  becaufe  in  the  Word 
the  Lord  is,  nor  to  do  Evil  to  the  holy  Things  of 
the-  Church,  becaufe  in  the  holy  Things  of  the 
Church  the  Lord  is,  nor  to  do  Evil  to  the  Soul  of 
any  one,  becaufe  the  Soul  of  every  one  is  in  the  Hand 
of  the  Lord  ;  they  who  fhun  thefe  Evils  as  enor- 
mous Sins,  the  fame  love  the  Lord  above  all  Things  j 
but  this  no  others  can  do,  except  fuch  as  love  their 
Neighbour  as  themfelves,  for  Love  to  the  Lord  and 
neighbourly  Love  are  conjoined  together. 

95.  Forafmuch  as  there  is  a  Conjunction  of  the 
Lord  with  Man,  and  of  Man  with  the  Lord,  there- 
fore there  are  two  Tables  of  the  Law,  one  for  the 
Lord,  and  the  other  for  Man  :  In  Proportion  a^ 
Man,  as  from  himfelf,  doeth  the  Laws  of  his  own  Ta- 
ble, in  the  fame  Proportion  the  Lord  giveth  him  to 
do  the  Laws  of  his  Table  :  But  the  Man  who  doth 
not  do  the  Laws  of  his  own  Table,  which  all  relate 
to  the  Love  of  his  Neighbour,  cannot  do  the  Laws 
of  the  Lord*s  Table,  which  all  relate  to  the  Love  of 
the  Lord  :  Hew  can  a  Murderer,  a  Ihicf,  an  Adul- 
terer, and  a  falfe  Witnefs,  love  the  Lord  ?  Doth  not 
Reafon  dictate,  that  to  be  fuch,  and  to  love  the 
Lord^  is  contradictory  ?   Is  not  the  Devil  fuch  a 

one, 


The  Divine  Providence.         13J 

one,  and  can  he  do  otherwile  than  hate  the  Lord  ? 
But  when  Man  turneth  away  from  Murders,  Adul- 
teries, Thefts,  and  falfe  Teflimony,  as  infernal,  then 
he  can  love  the  Lord,  for  then  he  turneth  his  Face 
from  the  Devil  to  the  Lord,  and  when  he  turneth 
his  Face  to  the  Lord,  Love  and  Wifdom.  is  given 
him,  thefe  Principles  enterinsj  into  a  Man  by  his 
Face,  and  not  by  the  hinder  Part  of  his  Head.  In^ 
afmuch  as  in  this  and  in  no  other  Manner  Conjunc- 
tion  with  the  Lord  is  effeded,  therefore  thofe  two 
Tables  are  called  the  Covenant,  and  a  Covenant  is 
between  two. 

96'.  VIL  Thai  the  Lord  preferveth  thofe  two  Fac- 
ulties in  Man  inviolable^  and  as  it  were  facred^  in 
every  FrogreJJion  of  his  Dhnne  Providence.  The 
Reafons  are,  becaufe  Man,  without  thofe  two  Fac- 
ulties, would  not  have  Underilanding  and  Will,  and 
therefore  would  not  be  Man  j  alio,  becaufe  Man, 
without  thofe  two  Faculties,  could  not  be  conjoined 
to  the  Lord,  and  therefore  could  not  be  reformed 
and  regenerated  ;  and  further,  becaufe  Man,  with- 
out thofe  two  Faculties,  would  not  have  Immortality 
and  eternal  Life.  That  this  is  the  Cafe,  may  in* 
deed  be  feen,  from  the  Knowledge  of  what  Liberty 
and  Rationality  are,  (which  are  thofe  two  Faculties,) 
which  was  fhewn  in  the  foregoing  Pages ;  but  it 
cannot  be  feen  clearly,  unlefs  each  Reafon  be  pre- 
fented  to  the  View  as  a  Conclufion,  wherefore  it 
may  be  expedient  to  illuflrate  each.  That  Man 
without  thofe  two  Facidties  would  not  have  Will  and 
Underfianding^  and  therefore  wotdd  not  be  Man  ;  for 
Man  hath  Will  from  no  other  Source  than  from 
the  Power  of  willing  freely  as  from  himfelf ;  and 

freely 


136    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

freely  to  will,  as  from  himfelf,  is  from  the  Faculty 
continually  given  him  by  the  Lord,  which  is  called 
Liberty  ;  and  Man  hath  Underftanding  from  no 
other  Source  than  from  the  Power  he  hath,  as  of 
himfelf,  to  underfland  whether  a  Thing  be  of  Rea- 
fon  or  not  ;  and  to  underiland  whether  it  be  of 
Reafon  or  not,  is  from  that  other  Faculty  continu- 
ally given  him  by  the  Lord,  which  is  called  Ration- 
ality. Thefe  Facuhies  join  themfelves  together  in 
Man  like  the  "Will  and  the  Underftanding  5  as  foF 
Initance,  becaufe  Man  can  will,  he  can  alio  under- 
fcand,  for  Volition  is  not  given  without  Underftand- 
ing, Underftanding  being  its  Confort  or  Compan- 
ion, without  which  it  cannot  be  ^  wherefore  with 
the  Faculty,  which  is  called  Liberty,  is  given  the 
Faculty  which  is  called  Rationality  ;  and  further^ 
if  you  take  away  Volition  from  Underftanding,  you 
underftand  Nothing,  and  in  Proportion  as  you  will, 
in  the  fame  Proportion  you  can  underftand,  provi- 
ded there  be  at  Hand  and  at  the  fame  1  ime  are 
opened  thofe  AfTiftances,  which  are  called  Knowl- 
edges, for  thefe  are  like  Inftruments  in  the  Hands 
of  Artificers  :  It  is  faid  that  in  Proportion  as  you 
will,  you  can  underftand,  that  is,  in  Proportion  as 
you  love  to  underftand,  for  Will  and  Love  a6t  as 
one  ;  this  indeed  appears  as  a  Paradox,  but  it  ap- 
pears fo  to  thofe  only  who  do  not  love  to  under- 
ftand, and  therefore  will  not,  and  they  who  will 
not,  fay  they  cannot :  But  who  they  are  that  cannot 
underftand,  and  v/ho  they  that  can  with  Difficulty 
underftand,  will  be  fliewn  in  the  following  Article. 
Without  Confirmation  it  is  evident,  that  if  Man 
had  not  Will  from  the  Faculty  which  is  called  Lib* 

erty, 


The  Divine  Providence 


137 


erty,  and  Underflanding  from  the  Faculty  which  is 
called  Rationality,  he  would  not  be  iMan.     Beads 
have  not  thefe  Faculties  ;    it  appears  as  if  Beads 
could  alfo  will,  and  could  underfland,  but  they  can- 
not ;  it  is  natural  AfFeftion,  which  m  itfelf  is  Defire 
(Cupido,)  with  its  concomitant  Science,  which  alone 
leadeth  and  prompteth  them  to  do  what  they  do  : 
There  is  indeed  a  civil  and  moral  Principle  in  their 
Science,  but  they  are  not  above  Science,  becaufe 
they  have  no  fpiritual  Principle,   which  giveth  to 
perceive  the  moral  Principle,  and  thence  to  think  it 
analytically  :  They  can  indeed  be  taught  to  do  any 
Thing,  but  this  is  only  the  natural  Principle,  which 
addeth  itfelf  to  their  Science,  and  at  the  fame  Time 
to  their  Affection,    and  is   re-produced   either   by 
Sight  or  by  Hearing,  but  is  never  made  a  Principle  of 
Thought,  and  flill  lefs  of  Reafon  in  them  :  Some- 
thing on  this  Subject  may  be  feen  above,  n.  74. 
That  Man  without  thofe  two  Faculties  could  not  be 
conjoined  to  the  Lord^  and  therefore  could  not  be  re^ 
formed  and  regenerated^  was  diewn  above  ;   for  the 
Lord  refideth  in  thofe  two  Faculties  in  Men,  as  well 
in  the  wicked  as  in  the  good,  and  by  them  he  join- 
eth  himfelf  to  every  Man  :  Hence  it  is,  that  a  wick- 
ed Man,  as  well  as  a  good  Man,  can  underfland, 
and  hence  a  wicked  Man  hath  in  his  Power  tlia 
Will  of  Good  and  the  Underflanding  of  Truth, 
and  the  Reafon  why  they  are  not  in  A<51,  is  from 
the  Abufe  of  thofe  Faculties.     The  true  Ground 
and  Caufe  why  the  Lord,  refideth  in  thofe  Faculties 
in  every  Man,  is  from  the  Influx  of  the  Will  of  the 
Lord,  in  that  he  willeth  to  be  received  by  Man, 
and  to  make  his  Abode  with  him,  and  to  give  him 
S  the 


138     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

the  Felicities  of  eternal  Life  ;  tbefe  Things  are  of 
the  Will  of  the.  Lord,  becaufe  they  are  of  his  Divine 
Love.  It  is  this  Will  of  the  Lord,  which  caufeth  it 
to  appear  in  Man  as  of  himfelf  that  he  thinketh, 
fpeaketh,  willeth,  and  adeth.  That  the  Influx  of 
the  Will  of  the  Lord  hath  this  Operation,  may  be 
confirmed  by  many  Particulars  from  the  fpiritual 
V/orld  ;  for  fometimes  the  Lord  fiileth  an  Angel 
with  his  Divine  Principle,  fo  that  the  Angel  know- 
eth  no  other  than  that  he  is  the  Lord  ;  in  this 
Manner  were  thofe  Angels  filled,  who  were  feen 
by  Abraham,  Hagar,  and  Gideon,  who  therefore 
called  themfelves  Jehovah,  of  which  Mention  is 
made  in  the  Word  :  So  alfo  can  one  Spirit  be  filled 
by  another,  until  he  doth  not  know  but  that  he  is 
the  other,  as  hath  often  been  feen  by  me  :  More- 
over it  is  know^n  in  Heaven,  that  the  Lord  operateth 
all  Things  by  Volition  fper  Velle^J  and  that  what 
he  willeth  is  done.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  thofe 
two  Faculties  are  the  Means,  by  which  the  Lord  con- 
joineth  himfelf  to  Man,  and  by  which  he  caufeth 
Man  to  be  reciprocally  conjoined  to  him.  But  how 
Man  by  thofe  two  Faculties  Is  reciprocally  conjoin- 
ed, confequently  how  by  them  he  Is  reformed  and 
regenerated,  was  faid  above,  and  more  will  be  faid 
of  It  below.  That  Man  without  thofe  two  Faculties 
would  not  have  Immorialiiy  and  Eternal  Life^  follows 
from  what  hath  jufl  been  faid,  that  by  them  there 
is  efFecled  Conjundlon  with  the  Lord,  and  alfo  Ref- 
ormation and  Regeneration  ;  by  Conjunftion  Man 
hath  Immortality,  and  by  Reformation  and  Regen- 
eration eternal  Life  :  And  forafmuch  as  by  thofe 
Faculties  there  is  a  Conjundion  of  the  Lord  with 

every 


The  Divine  Providence.         139 

every  Man,  as  well  the  Wicked  as  the  Good,  as 
was  faid  above,  therefore  every  Man  hath  Immor- 
tality ;  but  he  alone  hath  eternal  Life,  that  is,  the 
Life  of  Heaven,  in  whom  there  is  a  reciprocal  Con- 
jundion  from  Intimates  [inmofl  Parts]  to  Ultlraates. 
Hence  may  be  feen  the  Reafons,  why  the  Lord  pre- 
ferveth  thofe  two  Faculties  in  Man  inviolable,  and 
as  it  were  facred,  in  every  Progreflion  of  his  Divine 
Providence. 

97.  VIII.  That  therefore  it  is  of  the  Diiune  Prov- 
idence^ that  Manfyidd  a6l  from  Liberty  according  to 
Reafon,  To  a£i;  from  a  free  Principle  according  to 
Reafon,  and  to  ad  from  Liberty  and  Rationality,  is 
the  fame  Thing,  as  alfo  to  aft  from  the  Will  and 
the  Und^rilanding  ;  but  it  is  one  Thing  to  ad  from 
a  free  Principle  according  to  Reafon,  or  from  Lib- 
erty and  Rationality,  and  another  to  acl  from  t^t\\- 
tial  Freedom  according  to  eil'ential  Reafon,  or  from 
effential  Liberty  and  eiTentiai  Rationality ;  becaufc 
the  Man  who  doeth  Evil  from  the  Love  of  Evil.^ 
and  confirms  it  in  himfelf,  the  fame  adclh  indeed 
from  Libert V  according  to  Reafon,  but  neverthelefs 
his  Liberty  in  itfelf  is  not  Liberty,  or  not  effentiai 
Liberty,  but  it  is  infernal  Liberty,  v/hich  in  itfelf  is 
Slavery,  and  his  Reafon  in  itfelf  is  not  Reafon,  but 
it  is  either  fpurious  or  falfe  Reafon,  or  Reafon  only 
appearing  fuch  from  Confirmations  :  But  flill  botli 
are  of  the  Divine  Providence  ;  for  if  the  free  Power 
of  willing  Evil,  and  of  making  it  as  it  were  a  Princi- 
ple of  Reafon  by  Confirmations,  were  taken  away 
from  the  natural  Man,  Liberty  and  Rationality 
would  perifn,  and  at  tlie  fame  Time  the  Will  and 
the  Underilanding,  and  it  would  not  be  pofTible  for 

him 


J40    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

him  to  be  withdrawn  from  Evils,  and  reformed,  nor 
coniequentiy  to  be  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  and  live 
to  Eternity  :  Wherefore  the  Lord  guardeth  Liberty 
in  Man,  as  Man  guardeth  the  Apple  of  his  Eye. 
But  Hiil  the  Lord  by  Liberty  continually  withdraw- 
eth  Man  from  Evils,  and  in  Proportion  as  by  Liber- 
ty he  can  withdraw  him,  in  the  fame  Proportion  by 
Liberty  he  implanteth  Goods  :  thus  fucceflively  in 
Place  of  infernal  Liberty  he  invefts  him  with  celef- 
tial  Liberty. 

98.  It  was  faid  above,  that  every  Man  hath  a  Fac- 
ulty of  willing,  which  is  called  Liberty,  and  a  Fac- 
ulty of  underllanding,  which  is  called  Rationality  ; 
it  is,  however,  well  to  be  attended  to,  that  thefe  Fac- 
ulties are  as  it  were  inherent  in  Man,  for  the  effen- 
tial  Human  Principle  refides  in  them  :  But,  as  was 
obferved  above,  it  is  one  Thing  to  act  from  Liberty- 
according  to  Reafon,  and  another  to  ad  from  efien- 
tial  Liberty  according  to  eflential  Reafon  :  No  oth- 
ers ad  from  efTential  Liberty  according  to  eifential 
Reafon,  but  they  who  have  fuffered  themfelves  to 
be  regenerated  by  the  Lord  ;  the  reft  a£l  from  Lib- 
erty according  to  their  Thought,  which  they  make 
like  unto  Reafon.     Nevcrthelefs,  every  Man,  unlefs 
he  be  born  an  Idiot,  or  extremely  flupid,  may  attain 
to  elTential  Reafon,  and  thereby  to  efTential  Liberty  ; 
the  Caufes  why  he  doth  not  attain  thereto  are  fever- 
al,  as  will  be  fhewn  in  what  follows  :  We  fhall  here 
only  point  out  to  whom  efTential  Freedom,  or  efTen- 
tial Liberty,  and  at  the  fame  Time  efTential  Reafon, 
or  efTential  Rationality,  cannot  be  given,   and  to 
whom  they  are  given  with  Difficulty.      EiTentiai 
Jjiberty  and  efTential  Rationality  cannot  be  given  io 

thofe 


The  Divine  Providence,         141 

thofe  who  are  born  Idiots ;  nor  to  thofe  who  after- 
wards become  Idiots,  fo  long  as  they  remain  fuch. 
ElTential  Liberty  and  eflential  Rationality  cannot  be 
given  to  fuch  as  are  born  ftupid  and  ftUy,  nor  to 
fome  who  become  fuch  from  the  Torpor  of  Idle- 
nefs,  or  from  Sicknefs,  which  perverteth  or  entirely 
clofeth  the  Interiors  of  the  Mind,  or  from  the  Love 
of  a  beallly  Life.  Neither  can  eflential  Liberty  and 
elfential  Rationality  be  given  to  thofe  in  the  Chrif- 
tian  World,  who  altogether  deny  the  Lord's  Divin- 
ity, and  the  SanQity  of  the  Word,  and  have  kept 
this  Negation  confirmed  in  themfelves  to  the  End  of 
Life  ;  for  this  is  underllood  by  the  Sin  againft  the 
Holy  Ghoil:,  which  is  not  forgiven  in  this  World, 
nor  in  that  which  is  to  come,  Matth.  xii.  31,  32. 
Neither  can  eflential  Liberty  and  efl~ential  Rational- 
ity be  given  in  thofe,  who  attribute  all  Things  to 
Nature,  and  Nothing  to  the  Divine  Principle,  and 
have  made  this  a  Part  of  their  Faith  by  Reafonings 
from  vifible  Objeds  ;  for  all  fuch  are  Atheifts.  Ef- 
fential  Liberty  and  eflential  Rationality  are  given 
with  Difficulty  in  thofe  who  have  confirmed  them- 
felves much  in  Falfes  of  Religion  ;  becaufe  the  Con- 
firmer  of  what  is  Falfe  is  the  Denier  of  Truth  :  But 
they  who  have  not  fo  confirmed  themfelves,  may  at- 
tain to  true  Liberty  and  Rationality,  of  whatfoever 
Religion  they  may  be  ;  on  which  Subject  fee  what 
is  adduced  in  Thje  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem   CONCERNING    THE    SaCRED    ScRIPTURE, 

n.  91  to  97.  .  Infants  and  Children  cannot  come 
into  eflential  Liberty  and  effential  Rationality,  be- 
fore they  grow  up  fcstate  adolefciint  ;)  becaufe  the 
Interiors  of  the  Mind  in  Man  are  fucceflively  open- 
ed ; 


142    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

ed  ;  in  the  mean  Time  they  are  like  Seeds  in  unripe 
Fruit,  which  cannot  germinate  in  the  Ground. 

99.  It  v/as  faid,  that  elfential  Liberty  and  eflential 
Rationality  cannot  be  given  in  thofe  who  have  de- 
nied  the  Lord's  Divinity,  and  the  Sanctity  of  the 
Word  ;  neither  in  thofe  who  have  confirmed  them- 
felves  for  Nature  againft  the  Divine  Principle  ;  and 
hardl)^  in  thofe  who  have  much  confirmed  them_- 
felves  in  Falfes  of  Religion  :  But  ftiil,  thefe  have 
not  lofl  thofe  Faculties  themfelves  :  I  have  heard 
Atheifts,  who  were  become  Devils  and  Satans,  who 
underftood  Arcana  of  Wifdom  as  well  as  Angels, 
yet  only  when  they  heard  them  from  others  ;  but 
when  they  returned  into  their  own  Thoughts,  they 
did  not  underftand  them  ;  the  Reafon  was,  becaufe 
they  would  not  ;  but  it  was  fhewn  them,  that  they 
aifo  could  will  to  underftand  them,  if  the  Love 
and  confequent  Delight  of  Evil  did  not  prevent 
them  ;  this  alfo  they  underftood,  when  they  heard 
it,  yea  they  affirmed  that  they  could,  and  were  able, 
but  that  they  did  not  will  to  be  able,l)ecaufe  thereby 
they  would  not  b^able  to  will  what  they  did  will^ 
which  was  Evil  from  the  Delight  of  the  Concupi- 
fcence  thereof  :  Such  wonderful  Things  in  the  fpi- 
ritual  World  have  I  often  heard  ;  fVom  which  I  was 
fully  confirmed,  that  every  Man  hath  Liberty  and 
Rationality  ;  and  that  every  one  may  come  into 
eifential  Liberty  and  effential  Rationality,  if  he  fiiun- 
neth  Evils  as  Sins.  Bat  the  Adult,  who  doth  not 
come  into  effential  Liberty  and  elfential  Rationality 
in  the  World,  can  never  come  into  them  after 
Death,  for  then  the  State  of  his  Life  remaineth  to 
Eternity,  fuch  as  it  had  been  in  the  World. 

That 


The  Divine  Providence.         143 

That  it  is  a  Law  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, that  Man  as  from  hhnjelf Jhould 
reiTWve  Evils  as  Sins  in  the  external 
Man,  and  that  thus  and  no  otherwife 
the  Lord  can  remove  Evils  in  the  inter^ 
nal  Man,  and  then  at  the  fame  Time 
in  the  external. 

100.  TT'  VERY  one  may  fee  from  Reafon  alone, 
Aj  that  the  Lord,  who  Is  Good  itfelf  and 
Truth  itfelf,  cannot  enter  into  Man,  unlefs  Evils 
and  Falfes  in  him  are  removed,  for  Evil  is  oppofite 
to  Good,  and  what  is  Falfe  is  oppofite  to  what  is 
True  ;  and  two  Oppofites  never  can  be  mixed,  but 
■when  one  approacheth  the  other,  a  Combat  enfues, 
which  continueth  until  one  giveth  Place  to  the  oth- 
er, and  that  which  giveth  Place  departeth,  and  the 
other  fucceedeth.  In  fuch  Oppofition  are  Heaven 
and  Hell,  or  the  Lord  and  the  Devil :  Can  any  one 
think  from  Reafon,  that  the  Lord  can  enter  where 
the  Devil  reigneth  ;  or  that  Heaven  can  be  where 
Hell  is  ?  Who  doth  not  fee,  by  Virtue  of  the  Ra- 
tionality given  to  every  Man  of  found  Mind,  that, 
in  Order  that  the  Lord  may  enter,  the  Devil  is  to  be 
cad  out,  or  that  Heaven  may  enter.  Hell  is  to  be 
removed  ?  This  Oppofition  is  meant  by  the  Words 
of  Abraham  out  of  Heaven  to  the  rich  Man  in  Hell, 
"  Between  us  and  you  there  is  a  great  Gulph  fixed ^ 
that  they  luhich  would  fafs  from  hence  to  you^  cannot  ; 
neither  can  they  -pafs  to  us,  that  would  co??ie  from 

t  hence  s'^ 


144    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

thence^''  Luke  xvi.  26.  Evil  itfelf  is  Hell,  and 
Good  itfelf  is  Heaven,  or  what  is  the  fame,  Evil  it- 
felf is  the  Devil,  and  Good  itfelf  is  the  Lotd,  and  a; 
Man,  in  whom  Evil  reigneth,  is  a  Hell  in  its  lead 
Form,  and  a  Man  in  whom  Good  reigneth,  is  a 
Heaven  in  its  lead  Form  :  This  being  the  Cafe,- 
how  can  Heaven  enter  into  Hell,  when  between 
them  fo  great  a  Gulph  is  fixed,  that  there  is  no 
pafling  from  the  one  to  the  other  ?  Hence  it  fol- 
lows, that  Hell  is  entirely  lo  be  removed,  that 
the  Lord  may  be  able  to  enter  with  Heaven. 

roi.  But  many,  efpecially  they  who  have  con- 
firmed themfelves  in  Faith  feparate  from  Charity,  do 
not  knovir  that  they  are  in  Hell,  when  they  are  in 
Evils,  and  do  not  indeed  know  what  Evils  are,  by 
Reafon  that  they  think  Nothing  of  them  ;  faying, 
that  they  are  not  under  the  Yoke  of  the  Law,  and 
therefore  that  the  Law  doth  not  condemn  them ;  al- 
fo,  that  whereas  they  cannot  contribute  any  Thing  to 
their  ojvn  Salvation,  they  cannot  remove  any  Evil 
from  themfelves ;  and  moreover,  that  they  cannot 
do  any  Good  from  themfelves :  Thefe  are  they,  who 
omit  to  think  of  Evil,  and  becaufe  they  omit  to 
think  of  it,  they  are  continually  in  it.  That  thefe 
are  they  w^ho  are  meant  by  the  Goats  fpoken  of  in 
Matthew,  may  be  feen  in  the  Doctrine  of  the 
New  Jerusalem  concerning  Faith,  n.  61  to 
68,  of  whom  it  is  faid,  Verfe  41  of  Chap.  xxv. 
*^  Depart  from  Me,  ye  curfed,  into  ever  lofting  Firs 
prepared  for  the  Devil  and  his  Angels,^^  For  they 
who  think  Nothing  of  Evils  in  themfelves,  that  is, 
who  do  not  explore  themfelves,  and  afterwards  de- 
fill  from  tjhem^  cannot  but  be  ignorant  what  Evil  is, 

and 


The  DiviNE  Providence.         145 

atld  then  love  it  from  the  Delight  thereof;  for  he 
who  doth  not  know  what  is  Evil,  the  fame  loveth  it, 
and  he  who  omitteth  to  think  of  it,  the  fame  is  con- 
tinually in  it,  being  Hke  a  blind  Man  who  doth  not 
fee  ;  for  the  Thought  feeth  Good  and  Evil,  as  the 
Eye  feeth  what  is  beautiful  and  unbeautiful ;  and 
he  is  in  Evil,  as  well  who  thinketh  and  willeth  it, 
as  he  who  believeth  Evil  doth  not  appear  before 
God,  and  that  it  is  forgiven  if  it  appeareth,  for  thus 
he  thinketh  that  he  is  without  Evil :  If  fuch  Perfons 
abflain  from  doing  Evils,  they  do  not  abflain  becaufe 
they  are  Sins  againft  God,  but  becaufe  they  are  afraid 
of  the  Laws  and  of  their  Reputation;  neverthelefs 
they  do  Evils  in  their  Spirit,  for  it  is  the  Spirit  of  Man 
which  thinketh  and  willeth,  wherefore  that  which  a 
Man  thinketh  in  his  Spirit  in  the  World,  the  fame 
he  doeth  after  his  Departure  out  of  the  World, 
when  he  becomes  a  Spirit.  In  the  fpiritual  World, 
into  which  every  Man  cometh  after  Death,  it  is  not 
aiked  what  has  your  Faith  been,  nor  what  your  Doc- 
trine, but  what  hath  your  Life  been  ;  thus  the  In- 
quiry is  concerning  the  Nature  and  Quality  of  the 
Life  ;  for  it  is  known  that  fuch  as  any  one's  Life  is, 
fuch  is  his  Faith,  yea  fuch  his  Dodtrine  ;  inafmuch 
as  the  Life  formeth  to  itfelf  Dodrine,  and  formeth 
to  itfelf  Fahh. 

1 02.  From  what  hath  juil  been  faid  it  may  appear, 
that  it  is  a  Law  of  the  Divine  Providence,  that 
Evils  be  removed  by  Man,  for  without  the  Removal 
of  them  the  Lord  cannot  be  conjoined  to  Man,  and 
lead  him  from  Self  into  Heaven.  But  foralmuch  as 
it  is  not  known,  that  Man  ought  as  from  himfelf  to 
remove  Evils  in  the  external  Man,  and  that  unlefs 
T  Man 


146    Angelic  Wisdom   concerning 

Man  doeth  this  as  from  himfelf,  the  Lord  cannot 
remove  Evils  in  him  in  the  internal  Man,  therefore 
we  fliall  proceed  to  exhibit  this  to  the  View  of  Rea- 
fon  in  its  Light,  in  the  following  Order.  L  Tha£ 
every  Man  hath  an  External  and  an  Internal  Prin- 
ciple of  Thought.  IL  That  the  External  Principle 
of  the  Thought  of  Man  is  in  itfelf  fiich  as  its  Inter- 
nal is.  III.  That  the  Internal  Principle  cannot  be 
purified  from  the  Concupifcences  of  Evil,  fo  long 
as  Evils  in  the  External  Man  are  not  removed,  be- 
caufe  they  ob(lru6l.  IV.  That  Evils  in  the  Exter- 
nal  Man  cannot  be  removed  by  the  Lord,  but  by 
Means  of  Man.  V.  That  therefore  Man  ought  to 
remove  Evils  from  the  External  Man  as  from  him- 
felf. VI.  That  the  Lord  then  purifieth  Man  from 
the  Concupifcences  of  Evil  in  the  Internal  Man,  and 
from  the  Evils  thenifelves  in  the  External.  VIL 
That  it  is  the  Continuum  [continual  Endeavour]  of 
the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lard,  to  join  Man  to 
Himfelf,  and  Himfelf  to  Man,  that  he  may  be  able 
to  give  him  the  Felicities  of  eternal  Life  ;  which 
cannot  be  done,  but  in  Proportion  as  Evils  w^ith 
their  Concupifcences  are  removed^ 

103.  I.  That  every  Man  hath  an  external  and  an 
internal  Principle  of  Thought,  By  the  external  and 
internal  Principle  of  1  bought  is  here  underftood 
the  fame  as  by  the  external  and  internal  Man,  which 
means  Nothing  elle  but  the  External  and  the  Inter- 
nal of  the  Will  and  Underllanding,  for  the  Will 
and  Underdanding  make  the  Man  ;  and  forafmuch 
as  thefe  two  manifeit  themfelves  in  the  Thoughts, 
4t  is  called  the  external  and  internal  Principle  of 
Thought ;  now  whereas  it  is  not  the  Body  of  Man, 

but 


The  Divine  Providence.         147 

but  his  Spirit  which  willefh  and  underflandeth,  and 
thence  thinketh,  it  follows,  that  this  external  and 
internal  Principle  is  the  External  and  Internal  of 
the  Spirit  of  Man.  Bodily  Action,  whether  exerted 
In  Speech  or  in  Work,  is  only  an  Effect  from  the 
Internal  and  External  of  Man's  Spirit,  for  th^  Body 
is  only  Obedience. 

104.  That  every  Man  in  an  advanced  Age  hath 
an  external  and  an  internal  Principle  of  Thought,, 
therefore  an  external  and  an  internal  Principle  of 
Will  and  Underllanding,  or  an  External  and  an 
Internal  of  the  Spirit,  which  is  the  fame  with  the 
external  and  internal  Man,  is  evident  to  every  one, 
who   attends  to  the  Thoughts  and  Intentions  of 
another  from  his  Speech  or  Anions  ;    and  alfo  to 
his  own  Thoughts  and  Intentions,  when  he  is  hi 
Company,  and  when  he  is  not  ;  for  any  one  may 
fpeak  in  a  friendly  manner  with  another  in  external 
Thought,  and  yet  be  his  Enemy  in  internal  Thought ; 
any  one  may  fpeak  of  Love  towards  his  Neighbour, 
and  of  Love  towards  God,  from  external  Thought 
and  at  the  fame  Time  from  its  Affedionj,  when  nev- 
erthelefs  in  his  internal  Thought  he  maketh  light 
of  his  Neighbour,  and  doth  not  fear  God  :  Any  one 
may  alfo  fpeak  of  the  Juflice  of  civil  Laws,  of  the 
Virtues  of  moral  Life,  and  of  the  Things  which  re- 
late to  fpiritual  Doctrine  and  Life,  from  external 
Thought  and  AlFedlion,  and  yet,  when  he  is  alone 
by  himfelf,  from  internal  Thought  and  its  Affedion, 
fpeak  againfl  civil  Laws,  againft  moral  Virtues,  and 
againft  the  Things  which  relate  to  fpiritual  Doarine 
and  Life  ;    this  is  the  Cafe  with  fuch  as  are  in  the 
Ccncupifcences  of  Evil,  and  ilill  wilh  to  appear  be- 
fore 


^48     Angelic  Wisdobi  concerning 

fore  the  World  not  to  be  in  them.  Moft  People 
alfo,  whilfl:  they  hear  others  fpeaking,  think  \vith 
themfelves,  do  they  think  interiorly  in  themfelves, 
as  they  exprefs  their  Thoughts  in  their  Speech  ? 
Are  they  to  be  believed,  or  not  f  What  is  it  they 
intend  ?  That  Flatterers  and  Hypocrites  have  a 
double  Thought,  is  known  ;  for  they  can  contain 
themfelves,  and  take  Care  that  their  Interior  Thought 
fhall  not  be  opened,  and  indeed  can  conceal  it  more 
and  more  interiorly,  and  as  it  were  fhut  up  the 
Door  left  it  fnould  appear.  That  exterior  Thought 
and  interior  Tho\ight  is  given  to  Man,  is  evidently 
manifeft  from  this  Confideration,  that  he  can  froni 
his  interior  Thought  fee  his  exterior  Thought,  and 
^Ifo  refled  upon  it,  and  judge  of  it,  whether  it  b^ 
evil  or  not  evil :  This  Quality  of  his  Mind  Man  de- 
riveth  from  the  two  Faculties,  which  he  hath  from 
the  Lord,  called  Liberty  and  Rationality  ;  from 
v/hich  if  he  had  not  an  external  and  an  internal 
principle  of  Thought,  he  could  not  perceive  an4 
fee  any  Evil  in  himfelf,  and  be  reformed  ;  yez^ 
neither  could  he  fpeak,  but  only  utter  Spunds  like 
a  Beafi. 

105.  The  internal  Principle  of  Thought  is  fron; 
the  Life's  Love  and  its  AfFeclions  and  confequent 
Perceptions  ;  the  external  Principle  of  Thought  is 
from  the  Things  which  are  in  the  Memory,  and 
which  are  fubfervient  to  the  Life*s  Love  for  Con- 
firmations, and  for  Means  to  attain  its  End.  Man, 
from  Infancy  to  Youth,  is  in  tlie  external  Principle 
of  Thought  derived  from  the  Affeftion  of  knowing, 
which  then  makeih  his  internal  Principle  ;  there 
'^ranfpireth  alfo  Something  of  Concupifcence  an(i 


Ik^^^ll^V^ 


The  Divine  Providence.         149 

thence  of  Inclination  derived  from  the  Life's  Love 
connate  from  his  Parents  :  But  afterwards,  as  he 
liveth,  his  Life's  Love  is  formed,  whofe  Affections 
and  confequent  Perceptions  make  the  internal  Prin- 
ciple  of  his  Thought,  and  from  the  Life's  Love  is 
produced  the  Love  of  Means,  whofe  Delights,  and 
the  Sciences  excited  thence  from  the  Memory,  make 
the  external  Principle  of  his  Thought. 

106'.  IL  That  the  external  Principle  of  the  Thought 
cf  Man  is  in  itfelffuch  as  its  Internal  is.  That  Man 
from  Head  to  Foot  is  fuch  as  his  Life's  Love  is,  was 
fliewn  above  :  Here  therefore  it  may  be  expedient  to 
premife  Something  concerning  the  Life's  Love,  be- 
fore we  proceed  to  fpeak  of  the  Affeclions,  which, 
together  with  Perceptions,  make  the  internal  of 
Man,  and  of  the  Delights  of  the  Afi'e^lions,  togeth^ 
cr  with  the  Thoughts,  which  make  his  External. 
J^oves  are  manifold,  but  there  are  two  Loves  like 
Lords  and  Kings,  celeffial  Love  and  infernal  Love  ; 
celeflial  Love  is  Love  to  the  Lord  and  neighbour- 
Jy  Love,  and  infernal  Love  is  the  Love  of  Self  and 
of  the  World  ;  thefe  Loves  are  oppofite  to  each  oth- 
er, as  Heaven  and  Hell ;  for  he  w'ho  is  in  the  Love 
of  Self  and  of  the  World,  willeth  not  Good  to  any 
one  but  himfelf,  but  he  who  Is  in  Love  to  the  Lord 
and  in  Love  towards  his  Neighbour,  the  fame  will- 
eth Good  to  all.  Thefe  tw^o  Loves  are  the  Life's 
Loves  of  Man,  but  with  much  Variety  ;  celeftial 
Love  is  the  Life's  Love  of  tWfe  whom  the  Lord, 
leadeth,  and  infernal  Love  is  the  Life's  Love  of 
thofe  whom  the  Devil  leadeth.  But  the  Life's 
Love  of  any  one  cannot  exift  without  Derivations, 
^vhich  are  called  Affections  \  the  Derivations  of  in-* 

fernal 


150    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

fernal  Love  are  AfFedlons  of  Evil  and  of  what  is 
Falfe,  properly  called  Concupifcences  ;  and  the 
Derivations  of  celeflial  Love  are  Affedions  of  Good 
and  Truth,  properly  called  Diledions.  The  Atfec- 
tions  of  infernal  Love,  which  properly  are  Concupi- 
fcences,  are  as  many  as  there  are  Evils,  and  the  Af- 
fections of  celeflial  Love,  which  properly  are  Dilec- 
tions,  are  as  many  as  there  are  Goods.  The  Love 
dwelleth  in  its  Afl'edions,  like  a  Lord  in  his  Domain, 
or  like  a  King  in  his  Kingdom  :  Its  Dominion  and 
Kingdom  is  over  the  Things  which  appertain  to  the 
Mind,  that  is,  which  appertain  to  the  Will  and  the 
Underitanding  of  Man,  and  thence  to  his  Body. 
The  Life's  Love  of  Man,  by  its  AfFedions  and  the 
Perceptions  thence  derived,  and  by  its  Delights  and 
the  Thoughts  thence  derived,  governeth  the  whole 
Man,  the  Internal  of  his  Mind  by  its  Affedions  and 
the  Perceptions  thence  derived,  and  the  External 
of  his  Mind  by  the  Delights  of  its  AfFedions  and 
the  I'houghts  thence  derived. 

107.  The  Form  of  this  Government  may  in 
fome  Meafure  be  feen  by  Comparifons  :  Celeflial 
Love,  with  the  Affeftions  of  Good  and  Truth,  and 
the  Perceptions  thence  derived,  and  at  the  fame 
Time  with  the  Delights  of  thefe  AiFedions  and  the 
Thoughts  thence  derived,  may  be  compared  to  a 
Tree  with  beautiful  Branches,  Leaves,  and  Fruits  ; 
the  Life's  Love  is  that  Tree,  the  Branches  with  the 
Leaves  are  the  AfFedions  of  Good  and  Truth  with 
their  Perceptions,  and  the  Fruits  are  the  Delights 
of  the  AfFedions  with  their  Thoughts.  But  infer- 
nal  Love,  with  its  AfFedions  of  Evil  and  of  what  is 
Falfe,  which  are  Concupifcences,  and  at  the  fame 

Time 


The  Divine  Providence.         'iji 

Time  with  the  Delights  of  thefe  Concupifcences 
and  the  Thoughts  thence  derived,  may  be  compared 
to  a  Spider  and  the  Web  which  encompafTeth  it  ; 
the  Love  itfelf  is  the  Spider,  the  Concupifcences  of 
Evil  and  what  is  Falfe  are  the  retiform  Threads 
nearefl:  to  the  Seat  of  the  Spider  ;  and  the  Delights 
of  thefe  Concupifcences  with  deceitful  Machinations 
are  the  more  remote  Threads,  where  Fhes  are 
caught,  entangled,  and  devoured. 

1 08.  From  thefe  Comparifons  may  indeed  be 
feen  the  Conjundion  of  all  Things  of  the  Will  and 
Underftanding,  or  of  the  Mind  of  Man,  with  his 
Life's  Love,  but  yet  not  rationally  :  This  Conjunc- 
tion may  be  feen  rationally  thus  :  There  are  every 
where  three  Things  together  which  make  one, 
which  are  called  End,  Caufe,  and  Effect ;  the  Life's 
Love  in  Man  is  the  End,  the  AfFedions  with  their 
Perceptions  are  the  Caufe,  and  the  Dehghts  of  the 
Affeftions  with  their  Thoughts  are  the  Efie£l:  ;  for 
in  like  Manner  as  the  End  by  the  Caufe  cometh  into 
Effect,  fo  alfo  Love  by  its  Affections  cometh  to  its 
Delights,  and  by  its  Perceptions  to  its  Thoughts  : 
EfFeds  themfelves  are  in  the  Delights  of  the  Mind 
and  their  Thoughts,  when  the  Delights  are  of  the 
Will  and  the  Thoughts  are  of  the  Underftanding 
thence  derived,  confequentiy  when  there  is  a  full 
Confent  therein  ;  Effects  are  in  this  Cafe  Effects  of 
his  Spirit,  which,  although  they  do  not  come  into 
bodily  Action,  are  ftill  as  it  were  in  A6t,  when  there 
is  Confent ;  they  are  alfo  then  together  in  the  Body, 
and  dwell  there  with  his  Life's  Love,  and  breathe 
after  A6tIon,  which  is  produced  when  Nothing  hin- 
dereth  :  Such  are  the  Concupifcences  of  Evil,  and 

Evils 


152    Angelic  Wisdom  concerniko 

Evils  themfelves,  In  thofe,  who  make  Evils  allowa*. 
ble  in  their  Spirit.  Now  as  the  End  joineth  itfelf 
^ith  the  Caufe,  and  by  the  Caufe  v/ith  the  Effed^ 
fo  the  Life's  Love  joineth  itfelf  with  the  internal 
Principle  of  Thought,  and  by  that  with  its  external  5 
hence  it  is  evident,  that  the  external  Principle  of  the 
Thought  of  Man  in  itfelf  is  fuch  as  its  internal  hy 
for  the  End  infufeth  all  it  hath  into  the  Caufe,  and 
through  the  Caufe  into  the  Efted,  there  being 
Nothing  eflential  in  the  Effecl:,  but  what  is  in  the 
Caufe,  and  through  the  Caufe  in  the  End  ;  and 
forafmuch  as  the  End  is  thus  the  very  elTential  Prin-* 
ciple  which  entereth  the  Caufe  and  the  EfFed,  there^ 
fore  the  Caufe  and  Effect  are  called  the  middle  End 
and  the  ultimate  End. 

109.  It  appears  fometimes  as  If  the  external  Priri^ 
€iple  of  the  Thought  of  Man  was  not  in  itfelf  fuch 
as  its  internal  is  j  but  this  cometh  to  pafs,  becaufe 
the  Life*s  Love,  with  its  Internals  about  it,  placeth 
a  Subftitute  below  itfelf,  which  is  called  the  Love  of 
Means,  and  enjoineth  k  to  take  Heed  and  guard  left 
any  Thing  of  its  Concupifcences  fhould  appear  j; 
wherefore  that  Subftitute  (or  Deputy)  from  the 
Craftinefs  of  its  Prince,  which  is  the  Life's  Love, 
fpeaketh  and  afteth  according  to  the  civil  Inftitu- 
tions  of  the  Kingdom,  according  to  the  Morals  of 
Reafon,  and  according  to  th-e  Spirituals  of-*the 
Church,  and  indeed  fo  cunningly  and  ingeniouf- 
ly,  that  no  one  feeth  but  they  are  fuch  as  they 
fpeak  and  a6t,  and  at  length,  by  encompaffing  them- 
felves with  a  Veil,  they  fcarcely  know  any  otherwifci 
themfelves  :  Such  are  all  Hypocrites ;  and  fuch  are 
Priefts,  who  in  their  Hearts  make  light  of  rhcir 

Neighbour^ 


The  Divine  Providence.         15- 

Neighbour,  and  do  not  fear  God,  and  yet  preach  of 
the  Love  of  their  Neighbour  and  the  Love  of  God  : 
Such  are  Judges,  who  judge  under  the  Influence  of 
Bribes  and  Friendfhips,  when  they  pretend  a  Zeal  for- 
Juflice,  and  fpcak  from  Reafcn  of  Judgment :  Such 
;ire  Merchants,  inlincere  and  fraudulent  at  Heart, 
when  they  ad  iincerely  for  the  Sake  of  Interefi:  : 
And  fuch  are  Adulterer?,  when,  from  that  Ration- 
ality which  every  Man  is  podeiied  of,  they  fpeak  of 
the  Chaftity  of  Marriage  ;  and  fo  in  other  Inilances. 
But  thefe  fame  Perfons,  if  they  flrip  the  Love  of 
Mtans,  the  Subditutc  of  their  Life's  Love,  of  the 
Garments  of  Purple  and  fine  Linen,  with  which 
they  had  invefted  it,  and  clothe  it  in  its  domeftic 
Drefs^  then  they  think,  and  fom.etimes  fpeak  with 
their  iiiofl  Intimate  Friends,  who  are  in  a  fimilar 
Life's  Love,  direQly  the  contrar)^  It  may  be 
thought,  that  when  they,  from  the  Love  of  Means, 
have  fpoken  fo  jilftly,  fincerely,  and  piouily,  then 
the  Quality  of  their  internal  Thought  was  not  in 
the  External  of  their  Thought,  but  ftill  it  was  there- 
hi,  there  being  Hypocrify  and  the  Love  of  Self  and 
of  the  World  in  thofe,  whofe  Cunning  it  is  to  feek 
Reputation  for  the  Sake  of  Honour  or  Interetl:  to 
the  lad  Appearance  :  This  Quality  of  the  internal 
is  in  the  external  Principle  of  their  Thought,  when 
they  fo  fpeak  and  a^l:. 

1 10.  But  in  thofe  who  are  in  celeflial  Love,  the 
internal  and  external  Principle  of  Thought,  or  the 
internal  and  external  Man,  a£t  as  one,  when  they 
fpeak,  nor  do  they  know  any  Difference  ;  their 
Life's  Love,  with  its  Affedions  of  Good  and  their 
Perceptions  of  Truth,  is  like  the  Soul  in  whatever 
U  they 


154    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

they  thinkj  imd  thence  fpeak  and  do  ;  if  they  are 
Priells,  they  preach  from  Love  towards  their  Neigh- 
bour and  the  Love  of  God  ;  if  they  are  Judges, 
they  judge  from  Juftice  itfelf ;  if  they  are  Mer- 
chants, they  a61  from  Sincerity  itfelf  ;  if  they  are 
married  Men,  they  love  their  Wives  from  Chaftity 
itfelf,  and  fo  on.  Their  Life's  Love  alfo  hath  a 
Love  of  Means,  as  a  Subditute,  which  it  teacheth 
and  leadeth  to  acl  from  Prudence,  and  clothes  it 
in  Garments  of  Zeal  for  the  Truths  of  Dodrine, 
and  at  the  fame  Time  for  the  Goods  of  Life. 

III.  IlL  Tbat  the  internal  Principle  cannot  be  pu- 
rified from  the  Concupifcences  of  Evil^  fo  long  as  Evils 
in  the  external  Man  are  not  removed^  becaife  they  ob^ 
Jlrud^  follows  from  what  was  faid  above,  that  the 
external  Principle  of  the  Thought  of  Man  is  fuch. 
in  itfelf  as  the  Internal  of  his  Thought  is,  and  that 
they  adhere  together  like  that  which  is  not  only 
within  another,  but  is  alfo  from  the  other,  where- 
fore one  of  them  cannot  be  feparated,  unlefs  the 
other  be  feparated  at  the  fame  Time  ;  fo  it  is  with 
every  external  Principle  which  is  from  an  internal, 
and  with  every  pollerior  which  is  from  a  prior,  and 
with  every  EtTed  which  is  from  a  Caufe.  Now  for- 
afmuch  as  Concupifcences,  together  with  Crafti- 
nefs,  make  the  internal  Principle  of  Thought  in  the 
Wicked,  and  the  Delights  of  Concupifcences  to- 
gether with  Machinations  make  the  external  Prin- 
ciple of  Thought  in  them,  and  the  latter  are  joined 
•with  the  former  in  one,  it  follows,  that  the  internal 
Principle  cannot  be  purified  from  Concupifcences, 
fo  long  as  Evils  in  the  external  Man  are  not  remov- 
ed.    It  is  to  be  noted,  that  it  is  the  internal  Will  of 

Man 


The  Divike  Providence.         155 

Man  which  is  in  Concupifcences,  and  that  it  is  his 
internal  Underflanding  which  is  in  Craftinefs,  and 
that  it  is  his  external  Will  which  is  in  the  Delights 
of  Concupifcences,  and  his  esiternal  Underflanding 
which  is  in  Machinations  from  Ciaftinefs  :  Every 
one  may  fee  that  Concupifcences  and  their  Delights 
make  one,  aifo  tliat  Craftinefs  and  Machinations 
make  one,  and  that  thefe  four  are  in  one  Series, 
and  make  together  as  it  were  one  Bundle  ;  from 
which  Confideradon  it  is  again  evident,  that  the  in- 
ternal Principle,  v;hich  confifteth  of  Concupifcen- 
ces, cannot  be  call  out  but  by  the  Removal  of  the 
external,  which  confideth  of  Evils.  Concupifcen- 
ces by  their  Delights  produce  Evils,  but  when  Evils 
are  thought  allowable,  which  is  done  by  Confent  of 
the  Will  and  Underflanding,  then  the  Delights  and 
Evils  make  one  ;  that  Confent  is  an  Acl,  is  w^ell 
known  ;  which  is  alio  what  the  Lord  faith,  '^  Jj^ any 
one  looketh  at  a  Woman^  to  IkJI  after  her.,  he  hath  al- 
ready committed  Adultery  zvitb  her  In  his  Hearty' 
Matth.  V.  28  :  It  is  the  fame  with  other  Evils. 

J 1 2.  Hence  then  it  may  appear,  that  in  Order 
to  Man's  being  purified  from  the  Concupifcences  of 
Evil,  Evils  are  entirely  to  be  removed  from  the  ex- 
ternal Man,  for  until  this  is  done,  there  is  no  Exit 
given  to  Concupifcences,  and  if  an  Exit  (or  Egrefs) 
is  not  given  them,  Concupifcences  remain  within, 
and  breathe  forth  Delights  from  themfelves,  and  fo 
drive  Man  to  Confent,  confequently  to  Adion  : 
Concupifcences  enter  the  Body  by  the  External  of 
Thought,  wherefore  when  there  is  Confent  in  the 
External  of  Thought,  they  are  immediately  in  the 
Body,  the  Delight  which  is  felt  being  there  :  That 

fuch 


156    Angelic  Wisdom  ccKCERNiKa 

fuch  as  the  Mind  is,  fuch  is  the  Body,  confequently 
tlie  whole  INIan,  may  be  feen  in  the  Treatife  conceru- 
ing  The  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom, 
n.  362  to  370.  This  may  be  illuftrated  by  Coni- 
parifons,  and  alio  by  Examples  :  By  Comparifom 
thus  ;  Concupifcences  with  their  Delights  may  be 
compared  to  Fire,  which  the  more  it  is  kindled,  the 
more  it  burneth  ;  and  the  freer  Ext^ifion  it  hath, 
the  wider  it  fpreadeth  itfeif,  until  in  a  City  it  con- 
fumeth  its  Houfes,  and  in  a  Wood  its  Trees  ;  the 
Concupifcences  of  Evil  alfo  in  the  Word  are  com- 
pared to  Eire,  and  Evils  proceeding  from  them  to  a 
Conflagration  \  the  Concupifcences  of  Evil  with 
their  Delights  in  the  fpiritual  World  appear  alfo  as 
Fires  ;  infernal  Fire  is  Nothing  elfe.  They  may 
alfo  be  compared  to  Deluges  and  Inundations  of 
Waters,  when  Mounds  or  Dykes  are  removedo 
They  may  alfo  be  compared  to  Gangrenes  and 
Impoflhumes,  which  bring  Death  upon  the  Body,  as 
they  fpread,  or  as  they  are  not  cured.  By  Examples 
it  is  clearly  evident,  that  if  Evils  in  the  external 
Man  are  not  removed,  Concupifcences  with  their 
Delights  increafe  and  become  exuberant :  A  Thief, 
in  Proportion  as  he  fcealeth,  in  the  fame  Proportion 
hath  the  Concupifcence  of  fleahng,  till  at  length  he 
cannot  defill  :  The  fame  is  true  of  a  fraudulent 
Perfon,  in  Proportion  as  he  defraudeth  :  It  is  the 
fame  alfo  with  Hatred  and  Revenge,  with  Luxury 
and  Intemperance,  with  Adultery  and  Blafphemy  ; 
that  the  Love  of  Dominion  Groimded  in  the  Love 
of  Self  increafeth  in  Proportion  as  it  is  given  Way 
to,  is  well  known  ;  in  like  Manner  the  Love  of 
pofTeiTrng   Goods   grounded   in   the   Love  of  the 

World  J 


The  Divine  Providence.         157 

World  ;  it  appears  as  if  there  was  no  Bound  or 
End  to  them.  From  thefe  Confiderations  it  is  evi- 
dent, that  in  Proportion  as  Evils  in  the  external 
Man  are  not  removed,  in  the  fame  Proportion  the 
Concupifcences  thereof  abound  ;  alfo  in  fuch  De- 
gree as  Evils  are  given  Way  to,  in  the  fame  Degree 
Concupifcences  increafe. 

113.  Man  cannot  perceive  the  Concupifcences  of 
his  own  Evil  ;    he  perceiveth  the  Delights  of  them, 
indeed,  but  he  reileds  little  upon  them,  for  Delights 
occupy  the  Thoughts,  and  take  away  Reflections  ; 
wherefore  if  he  did  not  from  fome  other  Source 
know  that   they  are  Evils,   he  would   call  them 
Goods,  and  would  perpetrate  them  from  Liberty 
according  to  the  Reafon  of  his  Thought  ;    and 
and  when  he  doeth  this,  he  appropriates  them  to 
himfelf :  In  Proportion  as  he  confirmeth  them  as 
allowable,  in  the  fame  Proportion  he  enlargeth  the 
Court  of  his  reigning  Love,  which  is  his  Life's 
Love  ;    its  Court  is  compofed  of  Concupifcences, 
for  they  are  as  it  were  its  Minifters  and  Guards, 
whereby  it  goyemeth  the  Exteriors  which  conili- 
tute  its  Kingdom  5  but  fuch  as  the  King  is,  fuch 
are  his  Minifters  and  Guards,  and  fuch  is  his  King- 
dom ;  if  the  King  is  a  Devil,  then  his  Minifters  and 
Guards  are  Infanities,  and  the  People  of  his  King- 
dom are  Falfes  of  all  Kinds,  which  his  Miniiters, 
whom  they  call  wife,  although  they  arc  infane,  by 
Reafonings  from  Fallacies  and  by  Phantafies  make 
to  appear  as  Truths,   and  to   be  acknowledged  as 
Truths.     Can  fuch  a  State  of  Man  be  changed 
otherwife  than  by  removing  Evils  in  the  external 
!\Ian,  for  fo  the  Concupifcences  alfo  which  adhere 

to 


158    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

to  Evils  are  removed  ;  otherwife  no  Egrefs  is  af- 
forded to  Concupifcences,  for  they  are  fhut  in,  like 
a  befieged  City,  or  an  Ulcer  fkinned  over. 

114.  IV.  That  Evils  in  the  external  Man  cannot 
he  removed  by  the  Lord  hut  by  Means  of  Man,  *  In 
all  Chriflian  Churches  this  Do6trine  is  received, 
that  Man,  before  he  approacheth  the  holy  Commu- 
nion, is  to  examine  himfelf,  to  fee  and  acknowledge 
his  Sins,  and  to  repent,  by~defifling  from  them,  and 
rejeding  them  becaufe  they  are  from  the  Devil  ; 
and  that  otherwife  his  Sins  are  not  forgiven,  and 
that  he  is  condemned  :  The  Englifh,  although  they 
are  in  the  Dodrine  of  Faith  alone,  neverthelefs  in 
the  Prayer  at  the  holy  Communion,  openly  teach 
Self-examination,  the  Acknowledgment  and  Con* 
fefTion  of  Sins,  Repentance^  and  a  new  Life,  and 
threaten  thofe,  who  do  not  comply,  in  thefe  Words, 
that  otherwife  the  Devil  will  enter  into  them  as  he  did 
into  Judas^  and f  II  thera  with  all  Iniquity^  and  dejiroy 
them  Body  and  SouL  The  Germans,  Swedes,  and 
Danes,  who  are  alfo  in  the  Dodrine  of  Faith  alone, 
in  the  Prayer  at  the  holy  Communion  teach  the 
fame,  threatening  alfo,  that  otherwife  they  will  incur 
infernal  Puniihment,  and  eternal  Damnation,  -by 
Reafon  of  the  Mixture  of  what  is  facred  and  pro- 
fane :  Thefe  Things  are  read  by  the  Prieft  with  a 
loud  Voice  before  thofe  who  are  about  to  receive 
the  Lord's  Supper,  and  are  heard  by  them  with' a 
full  Acknowledgment  that  it  is  fo.  Neverthelefs 
the  fame  Perfons,  when  they  hear  a  Sermon  the 
famiC  Day  on  Faith  alone,  and  then  that  the  Law 
doth  not  condemn  them,  becaufe  the  Lord  had  ful- 
filled it  for  them,  and  that  from  themfelves  they 

cannot 


The  Divine  Providence,         159 

cannot  do  any  Good  but  what  Is  meritoilous,  and 
thus  that   Works   have   Nothing  of  Salvation   in 
them,   but  Faith  only,   they  return  Home  entirely 
forgetful  of  their  former  Confelhon,  and  rejecling 
it,  in  Proportion  as  they  think  of  the  Sermon  on 
Faith  alone.     Which  l)o£lrine  now  is  true,  the  lat- 
ter or  the  former  ?    (for  two  Things  contrary  td 
each   other  cannot  both  be  true)  that  without  an 
Examination,  Knowledge,  Acknowledgment,  Con- 
feffion  and  Rejection  of  Sins,  therefore  without  Re- 
pentance, there  is  no  RemiiTion  thereof,  confequent- 
ly  no  Salvation  but  eternal  Damnation  ?  or  that 
fuch  Things  contribute  Notliing  to  Salvation,  be- 
caufe  full  Satisfadion  for  all  the  Sins  of  Men  was 
made  by  the  Lord  through  the  PafTion  of  the  Crofs 
for  thofc  who  are  in  Faith,  and  that  they  who  are 
in  Faith  only  with  a  Confidence  that  it  is  fo,  and  in 
Confidence  of  the  Imputation  of  the  Lord's  Merit, 
are  without  Sins,  and  that  they  appear  before  the 
Lord  like  thofe  who  have  their  Faces  clean  wafKed  ? 
From  the  above  it  is  evident,  that  the  common  Re- 
ligion of  all  the  Churches  in  the  Chriflian  World  is, 
that  Man  ought  to  examine  himfelf,  to  fee  and  ac- 
knowledge his  Sins,  and  afterwards  to  defdt  from 
them,  and  that  otherwife  there  is  no  Salvation,  but 
Condemnation.       That   this   is   moreover   Divine 
Truth  itfelf,  is  evident  from  thofe  Paflfages  in  the 
Word,   where  Man  is  commanded   to  repent,   as 
from  thefe,  "  ^efus  fa'id^  Bring  forth  Fruits  worthy  of 
Repentance:,  noiu  aJfo  the  Axe  is  laid  unto  the  Root 
of  the  Trees  ;  every  Tree  therefore  which  bringeth  not 
forth  good  Fruit  fjall  be  hewn  down  and  cafl  into  the 
Firc^^  Luke  iii.  8,  9.     "  Jefus  faid.  Except  yc  RC- 

PlNT, 


i6o    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

PENT,  yejhall  all perlfn^'  Luke  xiii.  3,  5.     "  Jefut 
preached  the  Go/pel  cf  the  Kingdom  of  God  ;  repent 
ye^  and  believe  the  Go/pel^''  Mark  i.  14,  15.    "  Jefus 
fcnt  forth  his  Difciples^  who  went  out  and  preached 
that  Men  fhould  repent,"  Mark  vi.   12.     ""' Jefus 
fdid  unto  the  Apofiles^  that  they  foould preach  Repent- 
ance AND  Remission  of  Sins  to  all  Nations," 
Luke  xxlv.  47.      "  John  did  preach  the  Baptifni  of 
Repentance    for    the    Remission    of   Sins," 
Mark  i.  4.     Luke  iii.  3.      Think  on  this  Subje(El: 
<?lfo  from  feme  Degree  of  Underftanding,  and  if 
you  have  any  Religion,  you  will  fee,  that  Repent- 
ance from  Sins  is  the  Way  to  Heaven,  and  that 
Faith  feparate  from  Repentance  is  not  Faith,  and 
that  they  who  are  not  in  Faith  in  Confequence  of 
not  being  in  Repentance,  are  in  the  Way  to  Hell. 
115.  They  who  are  in  Faith  feparate  from  Char- 
ity, and  have  confirmed  themfelves  therein  from  the 
Saying  of  Paul  to  the  Romans,  "  That  Man  is  juJlU 
fed  by  Fa)th  without  the  Works  of  the  Law^^  iii.  28, 
adore  this  Saying  like  thofe  who  adore  the  Sun,  and 
become  like  thofe  who  fix  their  Eyes  fleadily  upoii 
the  Sun,  whereby  the  Sight  becoming  dim,  doth  not 
fee  any  Thing  in  the  Midrt:  of   Light  ;    for  they 
do  not  fee  what  is  underflood  there  by  Works  o^ 
the  Law,  that  they  are  the  Rituals  which  are  defcri- 
bed  by  Mofes  in  his  Books,  which  aire  every  where 
there  called  the  Law,  and  not  the  Commandments, 
of  the  Decalogue  ;    therefore  left  the  Commancl- 
nients  of  the  Decalogue  fhould  not  be  underftood,  he 
cxplaineth  it  by  faying,  "  Do  we  then  make  void  thgf 
Law  by   Faith  ?    God  forbid ;   yea  we  cflablifh  the 
Law^^  Verfe  3X3  of  the  fame  Chapter.     They,  who 

from 


T^HE  Divine  Providence.         i6i 

from  the  above  Saying  have  confirmed  thcmfelvcs 
in  Faith  feparate  from  Charity,  by  looking  at  that 
PalTage  as  at  the  Sun,  do  not  fee  where  Paul  enu- 
merates the  Laws  of  Faith,  that  they  are  the  very 
Works  of  Charity  ;  what  then  is  Faith  without  its 
Laws  ?  Neither  do  they  fee  where  he  enumerates 
evil  Works,  faying,  that  they  who  do  them,  cannot 
enter  into  Heaven.  From  which  it  is  evident,  what 
Blindnefs  is  induced  from  this  one  Paflage  mifun- 
derflood. 

1 1 6.  The  Ground  and  Reafon  why  Evils  in  the 
external  Man  cannot  be  removed  but  by  Means  of 
Man,  is,  becaufe  it  is  of  the  Divine  Providence,  that 
whatfoever  a  Man  heareth,  feeth,  thinketh,  willeth, 
fpeaketh,  and  doeth,  fhould  appear  altogether  as  Ins 
own  5  that  without  this  Appearance  Man  would 
have  no  Reception  of  Divine  Truth,  no  Determina- 
tion to  do  Good,  no.  Appropriation  of  Love  and 
Wifdom,  alfo  of  Charity  and  Faith,  and  thence  no 
Conjunction  v;ith  the  Lord,  consequently  no  Refor- 
mation and  Regeneration,  and  thereby  Salvation,  is 
fhewn  above,  n.  71  to  95,  and  the  following  :  That 
without  this  Appearance,  Repentance  from  Sins  is 
not  poflible,  yea  nor  Faith,  is  evident  ;  alfo  that 
Man,  without  that  Appearance,  is  not  Man,  but 
void  of  rational  Life,  Hke  a  Bead.  Let  him,  who  is 
fo  difpofed,  confult  his  own  Reafon  concerning  this 
Qijeltion,  Doth  it  not  appear  that  Man  thinketh 
from  himfelf  of  Good  and  Truth,  as  well  fpiritual 
as  moral  and  civil  ?  Let  him  then  receive  this  Doc- 
trinal, that  all  Good  and  Truth  is  from  the  Lord, 
and  Nothing  from  Man  :  Will  he  not  acknowledge 
this  Confequence,  that  Man  ought  to  do  Good  and 
W  think 


i62     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

think  Truth  as  from  himfelf,  but  flill  to  acknowl^ 
edge  that  they  are  from  the  Lord  ;  therefore  alfo 
that  Man  ought  to  remove  Evils  as  from  himfelf^ 
but  fliil  to  acknowledge  that  he  doeth  it  from  the 
Lord. 

117.  There  are  many  who  do  not  know  that  they 
are  in  Evils,  becaufe  they  do  not  commit  them  in 
Externals  ;  for  they  are  afraid  of  civil  Laws,  and 
alfo  of  the  Lofs  of  Reputation,  and  thus  they  ac- 
quire a  Cuftom  and  Habit  of  Ihunning  Evils  as  det- 
rimental to  their  Honour  and  Interefl  :  But  if  they 
do  not  fhun  Evils  from  a  Principle  of  Religion,  be- 
caufe they  are  Sins,  and  againil  God,  then  the  Con- 
cupifcences  of  Evil  with  their  Delights  remain  in 
them,  like  impure  Waters  obllruded  or  llagnated  ; 
let  them  explore  their  Thoughts  and  Intentions, 
und  they  will  find  fuch  Concupifcences,  provided 
they  know  what  Sin  is.  There  are  many  fuch, 
who  have  confirm.ed  themfelves  in  Faith  feparate 
from  Charity,  who,  becaufe  they  believe  that  the 
Law  doth  not  condemn,  do  not  even  attend  to  Sins, 
and  indeed  doubt  whether  there  be  any  fuch  Thing, 
and  that  if  there  be,  they  are  not  fuch  in  the  Sight 
of  God,  becaufe  they  are  forgiven.  Such  alfo  are 
natural  Moralifls,  who  think  civil  and  moral  Life 
with  its  Prudence  operates  in  all  Things,  and  the 
Divine  Providence  not  in  any  Thing,  Such  alfo 
are  they  who  ftudioully  affe6t  the  Reputation  and 
Name  of  Honefly  and  Sincerity  for  the  Sake  of 
Honour  or  Interefl:.  But  they  who  are  fuch,  and 
at  the  fame  Time  fpurn  Religion,  after  Death  be- 
come Spirits  of  Concupifcences,  who  appear  to 
themfelves  as  if  they  were  real  Men,  but  to  others 

at 


The  Divine  Providence.         163 

at  a  DlHance  as  Priapufes  ;  and  they  fee  in  the 
Dark,  and  not  at  all  in  the  Light,  Hke  Owls. 

118.  From  thefe  Confiderations  now  follows  the 

Confirmation  of  Article  V,  which  is,  That  therefore 

Man  ought  to  remove  Evils  from  the  external  Man  as 

from  himfef;  which  may  alfo  be  feen  explained  in 

three  Articles  in  The  Doctrine  of  Life  for  the 
New^  Jerusalem  ;  in  one.  That  no  one  can  fhun 
Evils  as  Sins,  fo  as  interiorly  to  have  an  Averfion 
for  them,  but  by  Combats  againft  them,  n.  92  to 
100.  In  another.  That  Man  ought  to  fhun  Evils  as 
Sins,  and  fight  againft  them  as  from  himfelf,  n.  loi 
to  107.  Li  the  third,  That  if  any  one  flumneth 
Evils  as  Sins  from  any  other  Caufe,  than  becaufe 
they  are  Sins,  he  doth  not  fliun  them,  but  only 
maketh  them  not  to  appear  before  the  World,  n, 
108  to  113. 

1 19.  VL  That  the  Lord  in  this  Cafe  purijicth  Man 
from  Concupifcences  in  the  internal  Man^    and  from 

Evils  themfelves  in  the  external.  The  Reafon  why 
the  Lord  purifieth  Man  from  Concupifcences  of 
Evil,  when  Man  rem.oveth  Evils  as  from  himfelf,  is 
becaufe  the  Lord  cannot  purify  him  until  Man  do- 
eth  this  ;  for  there  are  Evils  in  the  external  Man, 
and  Concupifcences  of  Evil  in  the  internal,  and 
they  cohere  together  like  the  Roots  of  a  Tree  to 
their  Trunk :  Wherefore  unlefs  the  Evils  are  re- 
moved, there  is  no  Aperture  ;  for  they  obftrud  and 
fhut  the  Door,  which  cannot  be  opened  by  the  Lord 
but  by  Means  of  IMan,  as  was  fhewn  above  :  When 
Man  fo  opens  the  Door  as  from  himfelf,  then  the 
Lord  at  the  fame  Time  extirpates  Cor  rupifcenceg* 
The  Rcafcn  alfo  is,  becaufe  the  Lord  jdeth  upon 

the 


164    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

the  Intimum  [inmofl  Part]  of  Man,  and  from  the 
Intimum  upoij  its  Confequents  to  the  Ultimates,  and 
in  the  Ultimates  the  Man  is  all  together ;  To  long  there- 
fore as  the  Ultimates  are  kept  (hut  by  the  Man  him- 
felf,  there  cannot  any  Purification  be  efFecled  by  the 
Lord,  but  only  fuch  an  Operation  in  Interiors,  as  the 
Lord  produceth  in  Hell,  whereof  Man  is  a  Form, 
who  is  in  Concupifcences  and  at  the  fame  Time  in  E- 
vils,  which  Operation  is  only  a  Difpofition  that  one 
may  not  deftroy  another,  and  thatGoodnefs  and  Truth 
may  not  be  violated.  That  the  Lord  continually 
urgeth  and  prefieth,  that  Man  would  open  the  Door 
to  him,  is  evident  from  the  Lord's  Words  in  the 
Revelation,  "  Behold  IJiand  at  the  Doory  and  knock  ; 
if  any  Man  hear  my  Voice ^  and  open  the  Door^  I  will 
come  in  to  him^  and  will  flip  with  hlin^  and  be  with 
Me^'  iii.  20. 

120.  Man  knoweth  Nothing  at  all  of  the  interior 
State  of  his  Mind,  or  his  internal  Man,  neverthelefs 
there  are  three  Infinite  Things,  whereof  not  one 
Cometh  to  his  Knowledge  ;  for  the  Internal  of  the 
Thought  of  Man,  or  his  internal  Man,  is  his  Spirit 
itfelf,  and  in  it  there  are  as  infinite  or  innumerable 
Things,  as  there  are  in  a  Man's  Body,  yea  ftill  more 
innumerable,  for  the  Spirit  of  Man  is  in  its  Form  a 
Man,  and  all  Things  thereof  correfpond  to  all  the 
Things  of  a  Man  in  his  Body.  Now  as  Man  know- 
eth Nothing  from  any  Senfation,  how  his  Mind  or 
Soul  operateth  jointly  and  feverally  upon  all  Things 
of  his  Body,  fo  neither  doth  Man  know  how  the 
Lord  operateth  upon  all  Things  of  his  Mind  or 
goul,  that  is,  upon  all  Things  of  his  Spirit  ;  the 
Pperatlon  is  continual  j  in  this  Man  hath  no  fhare '; 

but 


The  Divine  Providence.         165 

but  yet  the  Lord  cannot  purify  Man  from  any  Con- 
cupifcence  of  Evil  in  his  Spirit,  or  internal  Man,  fo 
long  as  ]\Ian  keepeth  his  External  ihut  5  there  are 
Evils,  by  which  Man  keepeth  his  External  fhut, 
whereof  each  appeareth  to  him  as  one,  although 
there  are  Infinites  in  each  ;  when  Man  removeth 
this  feeming  one,  then  the  Lord  removeth  the  Infi- 
nites in  it.  This  is  what  is  me^nt  by  the  Lord's  pu- 
rifying Man  from  Concupifcences  of  Evil  in  the  in- 
ternal Man,  and  from  the  Evils  themfelves  in  the 
external. 

121.  It  is  thought  by  many,  that  barely  to  believe 
that  which  the  Church  teacheth,  purifies  a  Man 
from  Evils  ;  and  it  is  thought  by  fome,  that  to  do 
Good  purifies  ;  by  fome  that  to  know,  fpeak,  and 
teach  fuch  Things  as  are  of  the  Church  ;  by  fome 
that  to  read  the  Word  and  Books  of  Piety  ;  by  fome 
to  frequent  Churches,  to  hear  Sermons,  and  efpecial- 
ly  to  receive  the  Holy  Supper  ;  by  fome  to  renounce 
the  World,  and  fludy  Piety  ;  by  fome  to  confefs 
themfelves  guilty  of  all  Sins,  and  fo  on.  But 
nevertheiefs  none  of  thefe  Things  do  at  all  puri- 
fy a  Man,  unlefs  he  explore  himfelf,  fee  his  Sins, 
acknowledge  them,  condemn  himfelf  for  them, 
and  repent  by  defiPdng  from  them  ;  and  all  thcfe 
Things  he  mud  do  as  from  himfelf,  but  flill  from 
an  Acknowledgment  at  Heart  that  he  doeth  them 
from  the  Lord.  Before  this  is  done,  the  above- 
named  A61:s  avail  Nothing,  for  they  are  either 
meritorious  or  hypocritical  ;  and  they  appear  in 
Heaven  before  the  Angels  either  like  beautiful  Har- 
lots fmelling  offenfively  from  their  Difeafes  ;  or  like 
■  deformed  Women  appearing  handfomc  by  putting 

on 


166    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

on  Paint ;  or  like  perfonating  Players  and  Mimics 
on  the  Stage  ;  or  like  Apes  in  human  Apparel. 
But  when  Evils  are  removed,  then  the  above-men- 
tioned Acls  become  A£ls  of  the  Love,  and  the  Doers 
thereof  appear  in  Heaven  before  the  Angels  as  beau- 
tiful Men,  and  as  their  AfTociates  and  Companions. 

122.  But  it  is  well  to  be  attended  to,  that  Man 
in  doing  the  Work  of  Repentance  ought  to  look 
up  to  the  Lord  only  ;  if  he  looks  up  to  God  the 
Father  only,  he  cannot  be  purified  ;  nor  if  to  the 
Father  for  the  Sake  of  the  Son  ;  neither  if  to  the 
Son  as  a  Man  only  ;  for  there  is  one  God,  and  the 
Lord  is  He,  for  his  Divine  and  his  Human  [Effence] 
conflitute  one  Perfon,  as  is  fhewn  in  The  Doc- 
trine OF  THE  New  Jeruasalem  concerning 
THE  Lord.  That  every  one  in  doing  Repentance 
might  look  to  the  Lord  only,  the  Holy  Supper  was 
inflituted  by  Him,  which  confirms  the  Remillion  of 
Sins  with  thofe  who  repent ;  it  confirms  it,  becaufe 
in  that  Supper,  or  Communion,  every  one  is  kept 
looking  to  the  Lord  only. 

123.  VII.  That  it  is  the  *  Continuum  [jcontin^ 
ltd  Endeavour^  of  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord^ 
to  join  Man  to  hi?nfelf  and  himfef  to  Man^  that  he 
may  be  able  to  give  him  the  Felicities  of  eternal  Life  ; 
"which  cannot  be  done^  but  in  Proportion  as  Evils  with 
their  Concupifcences  are  removed.    That  it  is  the  Conti- 

nuum 

*  The  Words  Intbnum  and  Continuum  are  preferved  in  the  Tranfla- 
tlon  for  the  Sake  of  a  Diftindion,  which  leems  intended  by  the  Au- 
thor. The  bitbnum  of  the  Divine  Providence  is  the  inmoft  End, 
Purpofe,  and  Objefl,  and  the  Continuum  is  a  continual  Endeavour  to 
operate  certain  Things  as  Means  conducive  to  this  End.  In  fliort,  the 
Intimum  is  the  End,  the  Conihtuufn  is  the  Mean?  or  Cauic,  and  the 
Vltimum  is  the  Ej!Fe(S. 


The  Divine  Providence.         167 

nuum  [continual  Endeavour^  of  the  Divine  Provi* 
dence  of  the  Lord  to  join  Man  to  Himfelf  and  Him- 
felf  to  Man,  and  that  it  is  this  Conjunction  which 
is  called  Reformation  and  Regeneration,  and  that 
Man  thence  hath  Salvation,  was  (hewn  above,  n.  27 
to  45.  Who  doth  not  fee  that  Conjunction  with 
God  is  eternal  Life  and  Salvation  ?  This  every  one 
fees  who  believeth,  that  Men  by  Creation  are  Im- 
ages and  Likeneifes  of  God,  Genefis  i.  26,  27  ; 
and  who  knoweth  what  an  Image  and  Likenefs  of 
God  is.  Who  that  hath  found  Reafon,  when  he 
thinks  from  his  RationaHty,  and  wills  to  think  from 
his  Liberty,  can  believe  that  there  are  three  Gods, 
equal  in  EiTence,  and  that  the  Divine  Eife  or  Di- 
vine Eifence  can  be  divided  ?  That  there  is  a  Trine 
[threefold  Principle]  in  one  God,  may  be  thought 
and  comprehended,  as  the  Soul  and  Body  is  com- 
prehended in  an  Angel  and  in  a  Man,  and  the 
Sphere  of  Life  proceeding  from  them  ;  and  where- 
as this  Trine  in  one  exifts  only  in  the  Lord,  it  fol- 
lows, that  Conjunction  mufl  be  with  Him  :  Make 
life  of  your  Rationality,  and  at  the  fame  Time  of 
your  Liberty  of  thinking,  and  you  will  fee  this 
Truth  in  its  Light,  admitting  only  firfl,  that  there 
is  a  God,  and  that  there  is  a  Heaven,  and  eternal 
Life.  Now  forafmuch  as  God  is  one,  and  Man  by 
Creation  was  made  an  Image  and  Likenefs  of  Him, 
and  forafmuch  as  by  infernal  Love,  and  its  Concu- 
pifcences,  and  their  Delights,  he  came  into  the  Love 
of  all  Evils,  and  thereby  dellroyed  the  Image  and 
Likenefs  of  God  in  himfelf,  it  follows,  that  it  is  the 
Continuum  of  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord, 
that  he  may  conjoin  Man  to  Himfelf  and  Himfelf 

to 


i68    Angelic  Wisdom   concerning 

to  Man,  and  thus  caufe  Man  to  be  his  Image  :  That 
this  is  to  the  Intent,  that  the  Lord  may  be  able  to 
give  Man  the  Felicities  of  eternal  Lilx3,  follows  alfo^ 
for  fuch  is  the  Nature  of  the  Divine  Love  :  But  the 
Reafon  why  he  cannot  give  thofe  FeHcities,  nor 
make  Man  an  Image  of  Himfelf,  except  Man  as 
from  himfelf  remove  Sins  in  the  external  Man,  is, 
hecaufe  the  Lord  is  not  only  Divine  Love,  but  alfo 
Divine  Wildom,  and  Divine  Love  doeth  Nothing 
but  from  its  Divine  Wifdom,  and  according  to  it  : 
That  Man  cannot  be  conjoined  to  the  Lord,  and  fo 
reformed,  regenerated,  and  faved,  unlefs  he  is  per= 
mitted  to  ad  from  Liberty  according  to  Reafon -> 
(for  thereby  Man  is  Man)  is  according  to  his  Di- 
vine Wildom,,  and  whatfoever  is  according  to  thei 
Divine  Wifdom  of  the  Lord,  that  alfo  is  of  his  Di- 
vine Providence. 

124.  To  what  hath  been  faid  I  will  add  two  Ar- 
cana of  Angelic  Wifdom,  from  which  the  Nature 
of  the  Divine  Providence  may  be  feen  ;  the  iirfl  is, 
that  the  Lord  never  ads  upon  any  particular  Prin- 
ciple in  Man  feparately,  unlefs  upon  all  at  once  t 
The  other  is,  that  the  Lord  ads  from  Intimates 
[inmofl:  Principles]  and  from  Ultimates  [lafl  or 
loweft  Principles]  at  once.  The  Reafon  why  the 
Lord  never  adeth  upon  any  particular  Principle  in 
Man  feparately^  unlefs  upo-n  all  at  o?ice^  is,  becaufe  all 
Things  of  Man  are  in  fuch  Connexion,  and  by 
their  Connexion  in  fuch  Form,  that  they  ad,  not 
as  many,  but  as  one  :  That  Man,  as  to  his  Body, 
is  in  fuch  Connexion,  and  by  that  Connexion  in 
fuch  a  Form,  is  known  ;  in  a  fmiiiar  Form,  by  Vir- 
tue of  the  Connexion  of  the  Whole,  is  the  hu- 
man 


The  Divine  Providence.         169 

hian  Mind  alfo,  for  the  human  Mind  is  the  fpln'iual 
Man,  and  is  moreover  actually  a  Man  :  Hence  it  is 
that  the  Spirit  of  Man,  whieh  is  his  Mind  in  the 
Body,  is  in  every  Particular  of  its  Form  a  Man, 
•wherefore  Man  after  Death  is  equally  a  Man  as  ia 
the  World,  only  with  this  Difference,  that  he  hath 
put  off  that  Covering  which  conflituted  his  Body 
in  the  World.    Now  forafmuch  as  the  human  Form 
is  fuch,  that  all  its  Parts  make  one  common  [Form] 
which  ads  as  one,  it  follows,  that  one  Part  cannot 
be  removed  out  of  its  Place  and  changed  as  to  its 
State,  biit  in  Confent  with  the  reft,  for  if  one  were 
moved  out  of  its  Place  and  changed  as  to  its  Stare, 
the  Form  would  futTer,   which   mud  ad  as  one. 
Hence  it  is  evident,  that  the  Lord  never  ads  upoa 
atiy  particular  Part  or  Principle,  unlefs  upon  all  at 
once  :  Thus  doth  the  Lord  act  upon  the  univerfal 
Angelic   Heaven,    becaufe    the   univerfal  Angelic 
Heaven  in  the  Sight  of  the  Lord  is  as  one  Man  ;  fo 
alio  doth  the  Lord  ad  upon  every  Angel,  becaufe 
every  Angel  is  a  Lleaven  in  its  lead  Form  ;  fo  alfo 
doth  he  ad  upon  every  Man,  proximately  upon  all 
Things  of  his  Mind,   and  through  thefe  upon  all 
Things  of  his  Body  ;  for  the  Mind  of  Man  is  his 
Spirit,  and  according  to  its  Conjundion  with  the 
Lord  is  an^Angel,    and   his   Body  is   Obedience. 
But  it  is  well  to  be  obferved,  that  the  Lord  adeth  fm- 
gularly,  yea  mod  fmgularly,  alfo  upon  every  Particu- 
lar of  Man,  but  at  the  fame  Time  through  all  Things 
of  his  Form ;  neverthelefs  he  doth  not  change  the 
State  of  any  Part,  or  of  any  Thing  in  particular,  ex- 
cept conveniently  to  the  whole  Form  :  But  of  this 
more  will  be  faid  in  what  follows,  where  it  will  be  de- 
X  monilrated. 


170 


Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 


monftrated,  that  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord  is 
univerfal,  becaufe  it  is  in  Singulars,  and  that  it  is  fm- 
gular  becaufe  it  is  univerfal.  The  Rcqfon  why  the  Lord 
adeth  from  htimaies  [Jnmojl  Principki]  and  from  Ulti- 
mates  {lad  or  lowcjl  Principles']  at  once^  is,  becaufe  thus 
and  no  otherwife  all  and  fmgular  Things  are  contain- 
ed in  their  Connexion  ;  for  Intermediates  depend  fuc- 
celTively  upon  Intimates  [inmofl  Principles]  even  to 
XJltimates,  and  in  Ukimates  they  exift  all  together  ; 
for  in  the  Treatife  on  The  Divine  Love  and  the 
Divine  Wisdom,  in  Part  the  Third,  it  is  Ihewn, 
that  in  the  Ultimate  [Part  or  Principle]  there  is 
the  Simultaneous  derived  from  the  Firft  of  all  Prin- 
ciples.    Hence  alfo  it  is,  that  the  Lord  from  Eter- 
nity, or  Jehovah,  came  into  the  World,  and  there 
put  on  and  alTumed  the  Human  [Nature]  in  Ulti- 
mates  [lafl  or  lowed  Principles,]  that  he  might  be 
from  hrfl  Principles  at  the  fame  Time  in  Ukimates > 
and  thus  from  hrfl  Principles  by  Ukimates  govern 
the  univerfal  World,  and  fofave  Men,  whom  he  can 
fave,  according  to  the  Laws  of  his  Divine  Provi- 
dence, which  are  alfo  the  Laws  of  his  Divine  Wif- 
dom.     In  this  Manner,  therefore,  it  is  true,  what  is 
known  in  all  Chriftian  Countries,  that  no  Mortal 
could  have  been  faved,  except  the  Lord  had  come 
into  the  World,  concerning  which  fee  The  Doc- 
trine OF  THE  New  Jerusalem"  concerning 
Faith,  n.  2)S'     ^^ence  k  is  that  the  Lord  is  called 
the  Firk  and  the  Laft. 

125.  Thefe  Angehc  Arcana  are  premifed,  in 
Order  that  it  may  be  comprehended,  how  the  Di- 
vine Providence  of  the  Lord  operates,  that  he  may 
conjoin  Man  to  Himfelf,  and  Himfelf  to  Man  5  thi^ 

is 


The  Divine  Providence.         171 

IS  not  eH'e^bed  upon  any  Particular  of  Man  feparate- 
ly,  except  upon  all  of  him  at  once  ;  and  this  is  done 
from  the  Intimum  [inmoft  Principle]  of  Man,  and 
from  his  Ultimates  at  once  :  The  Intimum  of  Man 
is  his  Life's  Love,  his  Ultimates  are  the  Things 
which  are  in  the  External  of  his  Thought,  his  In- 
termediates are  the  Things  u-hich  are  in  the  Inter-^ 
nal  of  his  Thought  ;  the  Nature  and  Quality  of 
thefe  Principles,  in  a  wicked  Man,  was  (hewn  in  the 
foregoing  Pages  ;  from  which  Confidcration  it  is 
again  evident,  that  the  Lord  cannot  ad  from  Inti- 
mates and  Ultimates  at  once,  except  togetlier  with 
Man,  for  Man  is  together  with  the  Lord  in  Ulti- 
mates ;  wherefore  as  Man  acleth  in  Ultimates, 
which  are  at  his  Difpofal,  becaufe  they  are  fubjecfc 
to  his  Free-\yill,  fo  the  Lord  acleth  from  Lis  Inti- 
mates, and  upon  SuccelTives  to  Ultimates.  The 
Things  which  are  in  the  Intimates  of  Man,  and  in 
Succelfives  from  the  Intimates  to  the  Ultimates, 
are  altogether  unknown  to  Man,  and  therefore 
Man  is  totally  ignorant  how  and  what  the  Lord 
operates  there;  but  forafmuch  as  they  cohere  as 
one  with  the  Ultimates,  therefore  it  is  not  necelTary 
for  Man  to  know  more  than  that  he  ought  to  Ihun 
Evils  as  Sins,  and  look  up  to  the  I^ord.  Thus  and 
no  otherwife  can  his  Life's  Love,  which  by  Birth  is 
infernal,  be  removed  by  the  Lord,  and  a  Love  of 
celeftial  Life  be  implanted  in  Place  of  it. 

126.  When  the  Love  of  celeftial  Life  is  implant- 
ed by  the  Lord  in  Place  of  the  Love  of  infernal 
Life,  then  in  Place  of  the  Concupifcences  of  Evil 
and  what  is  Falfe  are  implanted  AfFedions  of  Good 
and  Truth,  and  in  Place  of  the  Delights  of  th<5 

Concupifcences 


172    Angelic  Wisdom  concerkikg 

Concupilcences  of  Evil  and  what  is  Falfe  are  im- 
planted Delights  of  the  Affections  of  Good,  and  in 
Place  of  the  Evils  of  infernal  Love  are  implanted 
the  Goods  of  celellial  Loy,€  :  Then  inftead  of  Cun- 
ning is  implanted  Prudence,  and  inftead  of  Thoughts 
of  Malice  are  implanted  Thoughts  of  Wifdom  : 
Thus  Man  is  born  again,  and  becometh  a  new  Man. 
What  Goods  fucceed  in  Place  of  Evils,  may  be  feen 
in  The  Doctrine  of  Life  for  the  New  Je- 
rusalem, n.  d']  to  73,  74  to  79,  80  to  86,  87  to  91. 
Alfo,  that  in  Proportion  as  a  Man  fliunneth  and 
turneth  away  from  Evils  as  Sins,  in  the  fame  Vxo- 
portion  he  loveth  the  Truths  of  Wifdom,  n.  32  to 
41  ;  and  that  in  the  fame  Proportion  he  hath  Faith, 
and  becometh  fpiritual,  n.  42  to  52. 

127.  That  it  is  the  common  Religion  in  the  uni- 
verfal  Chriftian  World,  that  Man  fhould  examine 
himifeif,  fee  his  Sins,  acknowledge  them,  confefs 
them  before  God,  and  defift  from  them,  and  that 
this  is  Repentance,  Remlflion  of  Sins,  and  thence  Sal- 
vation, was  fhewn  above  from  the  Prayers  read  before 
the  Koly  Communion  in  all  the  Chrillian  Churches. 
The  fame  may  alfo  appear  from  the  Creed,  which 
hath  its  Name  from  Athanafms,  which  alfo  is 
received  in  the  whole  Chriftian  World,  where  at 
the  End  there  i^ire  thefe  Words,  The  Lord  zuill  coma 
to  judge  both  the  ^ick  and  the  Dead,  at  whofe  Co7iu 
ing  they  who  have  done  Good,  will  enter  into  Life  eter* 
7ial,  and  they  who  have  done  Evil,  into  eternal  Fire. 

128.  Who  doth  not  know  from  the  Word,  that 
the  Life  of  every  one  after  Death  is  according  to 
his  Adions  ?  Open  the  Word,  read  it,  and  you 
will  clearly  fee  it,  but  in  this  Cafe  remove  your 

Thoughts 


The  Divine  Providence. 


73 


Thoughts  from  Faith,  and  Juftification  by  it  alone. 
That  the  Lord  in  his  Word  every  where  teacheth 
this,  let  thefe  few  Paflages  teftify,  *'  Every  Tree 
which  bringeth  not  forth  good  Fruit,  JJoall  be  ait 
down  and  cq/i  into  the  Fire  ;  wherefore  by  their 
Fruits  ye  fhall  Jaiozo  them^^  Matth.  vii.  19,  20. 
"  Many  will  fay  to  Me  in  that  Day^  Lord^  have  we 
not  prophefied  in  thy  Nafne^  and  in  thy  Najne  done 
many  wonderful  Works  ;  but  then  will  I  profefs  unto 
ihem^  I  never  knew  you^  depart  from  Me  ye  that  work 
Iniquity,"  Matth.  vii.  22,  23.  "  Whofoever  hear- 
€th  my  Words  and  doeth  them,  /  will  liken  him 
unto  a  wife  Man  which  built  his  lioufe  upon  a  Rock  ; 
but  every  one  that  heareth  my  Words  and  doeth 
THEM  ^or^  fhall  be  likened  unto  afooUfh  Man  which 
built  his  Houfe  upon  the  Sand^'^  Matth.  vii.  24,  26. 
Luke  vi.  46  to  49.  "  The  Son  of  Man  fo all  come  in 
the  Glory  of  his  Father^  and  then  fhall  he  reward 

EVERY  ONE  ACCORDING  TO  HIS  WoRKS,"    Matth. 

xvi.  27.  "  The  Kingdom  of  God  fhall  be  taken  from 
yoiiy  and  given  to  a  Nation  bringing  forth  the 
Fruits  thereof,'*  Matth.  xxi.  43.  ''  Jefusfaid^ 
viy  Mother  and  my  Brethren  are  thefe^  which  hear  the 
Word  of  God  and  do  it,'*  Luke  viii.  21.  "  Then 
ye  fhall  begin  tofland  without '  and  to  knock  at  the 
Door,  fayingy  Lord,  open  to  us  ;  but  he  fhall  ayfwer 
and  fay  unto  you^  I  hiow  you  not  whence  you  are^  de- 
part from  Me  ^//  }'^  Workers  of  Iniquity ^^  Luke 
xiii.  25  to  27.  "  And  Jhall  come  forth  ^  they  that  have 
done  Good^  unto  the  Refurreclion  cf  Life,  and  they  that 
have  done  Evil,  ttn^^o  the  Refurredion  of  Judgment,'* 
John  v.  29.  '^  I'Ve  know  that  God  heareth  not  Sin- 
ners, but  if  any  Man  be  a  Worfhipper  of  God,  and 

doeth 


174   Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

150ETH  HIS  Will,  him  he  heareth^'  Ix.  31.  "  If  ye 
know  ihefe  Things^  happy  are  ye  if  ye  do  them," 
John  xiii.  17.  "  He  that  hath  7ny  Co?nmandments^ 
and  DOETH  THEM,  he  it  is  that  loveth  Me^  and  I 
ivill  love  him^  and  zvill  come  to  him^  and  will  make  my 
Abode  with  hiniy*  John  xiv.  15,  21  to  24.  "  7^e 
are  my  Friends^  if  ye  do  whatfoever  I  command  y on  : 
I  have  chofenyou^  that  yejlmdd  bring  forth  Fruit, 
and  that  YOUR  YRViT/hould  remain^'*  John  xv.  14, 
16.  "  The  Lord /aid  tmto  John^  unto  the  Angel  of 
the  Church  of  Ephefus  write ^  I  know  thy  Works  : 
I  have  agairjl  thee^  that  thou  hajl  left  thy  firjl  Char- 
ity, REPENT  AND  DO  THE  FIRST  WoRKS  ;    Or  clfc 

I  will  remove  thy  Candhflick  out  of  his  Flace^'  Rev.  ii. 
1 ,  2,  4,  5.  "  TJyito  the  Angel  of  the  Church  of  Smyrna 
write^  I  KNOW  thy  Works,"  Rev.  ii.  8.  "  Unto 
the  Angel  of  the  Church  in  Pergamos  write ^  I  know 
thy  Works,  repent,"  Rev.  ii.  13,  16.  "  Unto 
the  Angel  of  the  Church  in  Thyatira  write,  I  know 
^HY  Works  and  Charity  ;  and  thy  last 
Works  to  be  more  than  the  firfi^^  Rev.  ii.  i8. 
*'  Unto  the  Angel  of  the  Church  in  Sardis  write,  I 
know  thy  Works,  that  thou  haft  a  Name  that  thou 
liveft,  and  art  dead,  I  have  not  found  thy 
Works  perfect  before  God,  repent,"  Rev. 
iii.  .1,  2,  3.  "  And  to  the  Angel  of  the  Church  in 
Philadelphia  write,  I  know  thy  Works,"  Rev. 
iii,  7,  8.  "  Unto  the  Angel  of  the  Church  in  Laodi- 
cea  write,  I  know  thy  Works,  repent,"  Rev. 
iii.  14,  15,  19.  '•  I  heard  a  Voice  from  Heaven  f ay  - 
ing,  write,  bleffed  are  the  Dead,  which  die  in  the  Lord 
from  henceforth  ;  their  Works  follow  them," 
Rev.  xiv.   ^.i^.     "  A  Book  was  opened,  which  is  the 

Book 


The  Divine  Providence, 


75 


Book  of  Life^  and  the  Dead  were  judged^  all  ac- 
cording TO  THEIR  Works,*'  Rev.  x^.  12,  13. 
^'  Behold  I  come  quickly^  and  my  reivard  is  ivith  Me^ 

TO  GIVE  EVERY  MaN  ACCORDING  TO  HIS  WoRK,*' 

Rev.  xxii.  12.  Thefe  Pallages  are  in  the  New  Tef- 
tainent,  there  are  ftill  more  in  the  Old,  out  of 
-which  I  will  adduce  only  this,  "  Stand  in  the  Gate 
of  the  Lord  J  and  proclaim  there  this  Word  ;  thus  faith 
Jehovah  of  Hojls  the  God  of  Jfrael^  amend  your  Ways 
and  your  Works  ;  trufl  ye  not  in  lying  Words,  faying^ 
the  Temple  of  Jehovah^  the  Temple  of  Jehovah,  the 
Temple  of  Jehovah  are  thefe.  Will  ye  f leal,  murder^ 
and  commit  Adultery,  and  fw ear  by  a  Lie,  and  come 
and  ft  and  before  Me  in  this  Houfc,  which  is  called  by 
7ny  Name,  arid  fay,  we  are  delivered,  while  ye  do  thefe 
Abonwiations  ?  Is  this  Houfe  become  a  Den  of  Rob- 
hers?  Behold,  even  I  have  feen  it,  faith  Jehovah^^ 
Jer.  vii.   i,  3,4,  9,  10,  11. 

That  it  is  a  Law  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
deuce  ^  that  Man  be  not  forced  by  ex-- 
ternal  Means  to  think  and  will^  and 
fo  to  believe  and  love  the  Things  zvhich 
are  of  Religion ;  hut  that  Man  lead, 
and  fometimes  force  himfelf  to  it. 

129.  ^  ■  ""HIS  -Law  of  the  Divine  Providence  fol- 

■     lows  from  the  two  preceding,  which  are  ; 

That  Man  fhould  a<5l  from  Liberty  according  to 

Reafon, 


176    Angelic  Wisdom  concerni]>jg 

Reafon,  of  which,  n.  71  to  99  :    And  this  front 
himfelf,    although  from  the  Lord,   therefore  as  if 
from  himfelf,  of  which,  n.  100  to  128  :  And  foraf- 
much  as  to  be  forced,  is  not  to  a£l  from  Liberty 
according  to  Reafon,  and  is  not  from  himfelf,  but 
from  what  is  not  Liberty,  and  from  another,  there- 
fore this  Law  of  the  Divine  Providence  follows  after 
the  two  others :  For  every  one  knows,  that  no  one 
can  be  forced  to  think  that  which  he  will  not  think^ 
and  to  will  that  which  he  thinks  not  to  v/ill,  there- 
fore neither  to  believe  that  which  he  doth  not  be- 
lieve, and  not  at  all  that  whi<:h  he  will  not  believe,- 
and  to  lave  that  which  he  doth  not  love,  and  not  at 
all  that  which  he  will  not  love  ;   for  the  Spirit  of 
Man,  or  his  Mind^  is  in  full  Liberty  to  think,  will, 
believe,  and  love  ;    and  it  is  in  this  Liberty  by  Vir- 
tue of  Influx  from  the  fpiritual  Worlds  which  doth' 
not  force,  for  the  Spirit  or  Mind  of  Man  is  in  that 
World  ;  but  not  by  Virtue  of  Influx  from  the  natu- 
ral  World,  which  is  not  received,  unlefs  they  a£l  as 
one  :    A  Man  may  be  compelled  to  fay,  that  he 
thinketh  and  willeth  fuch  and  fuch  Things,  and 
that  he  believeth  and  loveth  fuch  and  fuch  Things^ 
but  if  they  are  not,  or  do  not,  become  Objeds  of 
his  AfFedtion  and  thence  of  his  Reafon,  (till  he  doth 
not  think,  will,  believe,  and  love  them  :  A  Man 
may  alfo  be  compelled  to  fpeak  in  Favour  of  Religion, 
and  to  a£l  according  to  it,  but  he  cannot  be  com- 
pelled  to  think  in  Favour  of  it  from  any  Faith,  and 
to  will  it  from  any  Love  :  Every  one  alfo,  in  King- 
doms where  Jufliice  and  Judgment  are  preferved,  is 
forced  not  to  fpeak  againfl  Religion,  and  not  to  a£t 
againfl  it,  but  flill  no  one  can  be  forced  to  think 

and 


The  Divine  Providence.         177 

and  will  for  it ;  for  it  is  in  the  Liberty  of  every  one 
to  think  with  Hell,  and  to  will  for  it,  as  alio  to  think 
for  Heaven  and  will  for  it  ;  but  Reafon  teacheth 
what  the  one  is  and  what  the  other  is,  and  what 
Portion  awaiteth  the  one,  and  what  the  other,  and 
the  Will  from  Reafon  hath  its  Option  and  Election. 
Hence  it  may  appear,  that  what  is  External  cannot 
force  what  is  Internal :  Neverthelefs  this  fometimes 
is  the  Cafe,  but  that  to  do  fo  is  hurtful,  will  be 
fhewn  in  the  following  Order.  I.  That  no  one  is 
reformed  by  Miracles  and  Signs,  becaufe  they  force. 

II.  That  no  one  is  reformed  by  Vifions  and  by 
Converfations  with  the  Dead,  becaufe  they  force. 

III.  That  no  one  is  reformed  by  Threats  and  Pun- 
ifhments,  becaufe  they  force.  IV.  That  no  one  is 
reformed  in  States  not  of  Rationality  and  not  of 
Liberty.  V.  That  it  is  not  contrary  to  Rationality 
and  Liberty  for  a  Man  to  force  himfelf.  VI.  That 
the  external  Man  is  to  be  reformed  by  the  internal, 
and  not  vice  ver/a. 

130.  I.  T/jat  no  one  Is  reformed  by  Miracles  and 
Signs,  becaufe  they  force,  I'hat  Man  hath  an  inter- 
nal and  an  external  Principle  of  Thought,  and  that 
the  Lord  floweth  through  the  internal  Principle  of 
Thought  into  its- external  in  Man,  and  fo  teacheth 
and  leadeth  him,  was  fliewn  above  :  Alio,  that  it  is 
from  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord,  that  Man 
a^leth  from  Liberty  according  to  Reafon  :  Both. 
thcfe  CircumPcances  of  Man's  Condition  would  per- 
iOi,  if  Miracles  were  performed,  and  Man  by  thera 
were  compelled  to  believe.  That  this  is  the  Cafe, 
may  be  rationally  feen  thus  :  It  cannot  be  denied, 
that  Miracles  induce  Belief,  and  flrongly  perfuade 
y  that 


178    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

that  that  is  true,  which  is  faid  and  taught  by  him 
who  doeth  Miracles  ;  and  that  this  at  firft  fo  occu-^ 
pieth  the  external  Principle  of  Man's  Thought,  that 
it  in  a  Manner  binds  and  fafcinates  it  :  But  Man 
hereby  is  deprived  of  his  two  Faculties,  which  are 
called  Rationality  and  Liberty,  whereby  he  is  ena- 
bled to  acl  from  Free-will  according  to  Reafon, 
and  then  the  Lord  cannot  flow  in  through  his  In- 
ternal into  the  external  Principle  of  his  Thoughtj* 
but  only  leave  Man  to  confirm  from  his  Rationality 
that  Thing,  which  by  the  Miracle  v/as  made  an  Ob- 
jecl  of  his  Belief.  The  State  of  Man's  Thought  is 
fuch,  that  from  the  internal  Principle  thereof  he 
fees  a  Thing  in  the  external  Principle  thereof  as  it 
w^ere  in  a  Glafs,  for,  as  was  faid  above,  a  Man  can 
fee  his  Thought,  which  cannot  be  but  from  interior 
Thought ;  and  when  he  fees  an  Objecl  as  in  a  Glafs, 
he  can  alfo  turn  it  this  Way  and  that,  and  faihion  it, 
until  it  appeareth  to  himfelf  beautiful  ;  which  Ob- 
jecl,  if  it  be  a  Truth,  may  be  compared  unto  a  Vir- 
gin or  Youth  beautiful  and  alive  ;  but  if  the  Man 
cannot  turn  that  Obje6l  this  Way  and  that,  and 
fafhion  it,  but  only  believe  it  from  Perfuafion  indu- 
ced by  a  Miracle,  in  this  Cafe,  if  it  be  a  Truth,  it 
may  be  compared  to  a  Virgin  or  Youth  cut  out  of 
Stone  or  Wood,  in  which  there  is  no  Life  ;  and  it 
may  alfo  be  compared  to  an  Obje6r,  conftantly  be- 
fore the  Sight,  which  alone  is  feen,  and  hideth  all 
that  is  on  either  Side,  and  behind  it  ;  it  may  alfo 
be  compared  to  one  continual  Sound  in  the  Ear, 
which  taketh  away  the  Perception  of  Harmony 
arifmg  from  feveral  Sounds  :  Such  Blindnefs  and 
Deafnefs  is  induced  in  the  human  Mind  by  Mira- 
cles. 


The  Divine  Providence.         179 

cles.  It  is  the  fame  with  every  Thing  confirmed, 
which  is  not  feen  from  fome  RaiionaUty  before  it  is 
confirmed. 

131.  From  thefe  Confiderations  it  may  appear, 
that  Faith  induced  by  Miracles  'is  not  Faith,  but 
Perfuafion,  for  there  is  Nothing  rational  in  it,  flill 
lefs  any  Thing  fpiritual,  it  being  merely  external 
without  any  internal  Principle  :  It  is  the  fame  with 
all  that^  a  Man  doeth  from  that  perfuafive  Faith, 
whether  fie  acknowledge  God,  or  worfliip  him  at 
Home  or  at  Church,  or  do  Good  :  When  a  Mi- 
racle only  induceth  Man  to  Acknowledgment  of 
God,  to  Worfhip  and  Piety,  he  adeth  from  the 
natural  Man,  and  not  fiom  the  fpiritual,  for  a  Mira- 
cle infufeth  Faith  by  an  external  Way,  and  not  by 
an  internal  Way,  therefore  from  the  World  and 
not  from  Heaven  ;  and  the  Lord  doth  not  enter 
into  Man  by  any  other  Way  than  by  an  internal 
Way,  which  is  by  the  Word,  and  by  Dodrine  and 
Preachings  derived  from  the  Word  ;  and  forafmuch 
as  Miracles  fhut  up  this  Way,  therefore  at  this  Day 
no  Miracles  are  wrought. 

132.  That  fuch  is  the  Nature  and  Efl'ed  of 
Miracles,  may  appear  manifedly  from  the  Miracles 
wrought  before  the  Jewiih  and  Ifraelitifh  People  9 
ahhough  this  People  faw  fo  many  Miracles  in  the 
Land  of  Egypt,  and  afterwards  at  the  Red  Sea,  and 
others  in  the  Defart,  and  efpecially  upon  Mount 
Sinai,  when  the  Law  was  promulgated,  neverthelefs 
in  the  Space  of  a  Month,  when  Mofes  tarried  upon 
that  Mountain,  they  made  themfelves  a  golden  Calf, 
a?d  acknowledged  it  for  Jehovah  who  brought  them 
out  of  the  Land  of  Egypt,  Exod.  xxxii.  4,  5,  6  : 

The 


i8o   Angelic  Wislom  concerning 

The  fame  alfo  may  appear  from  the  Miracles 
wrought  afterwards  in  the  Land  of  Canaan,  not- 
withftanding  which,  the  People  fo  often  departed 
from  the  Worfhip  commanded :  As  alfo  from  the 
Miracles  which  the  Lord,  when  he  was  in  the 
World,  wrought  before  them,  and  yet  they  cruci- 
fied him.  The  Reafon  v/hy  Miracles  were  wrought 
among  this  People,  was,  becaufe  they  were  altogeth- 
er external  Men,  and  were  introduced  into  the  Land 
of  Canaan,  merely  that  they  might  reprefent  a 
Church  and  its  Internals  by  the  Externals  of  Wor- 
ship ;  and  a  wicked  Man  may  be  a  Reprefentative 
equally  as  well  as  a  good  Man  j  the  Externals  of 
Worfhip  among  them  were  Rituals,  all  which  figni- 
iied  Things  fpiritual  and  celeftial ;  yea  Aaron,  al- 
though he  made  the  golden  Calf,  and  commanded 
the  Worfhip  of  it,  Exod.  xxxii.  2,  3,  4,  5,  35,  nev- 
erthelefs  could  reprefent  the  Lord  and  his  Work  of 
Salvation  :  And  forafmuch  as  they  could  not,  by 
the  Internals  of  Worfliip,  be  led  to  reprefent  thefe 
Things,  therefore  they  were  led,  yea  forced  and 
compelled  to  it,  by  Miracles.  The  Reafon  why 
they  could  not  be  brought  to  fuch  Reprefentation 
by  the  Internals  of  Worfhip,  was,  becaufe  they  did 
not  acknowledge  the  Lord,  although  the  whole 
Word,  which  was  among  them,  treateth  of  Him  on- 
ly ;  and  he  who  doth  not  acknowledge  the  Lord^ 
cannot  receive  any  internal  Worfhip  :  But  after 
that  the  Lord  manifefted  himfelf,  and  was  received 
;md  acknowledged  as  the  Eternal  God  in  the 
Churches,  Miracles  ceafed, 

133.    Neverthelefs  the  Effe£t  of  Miracles  upon 
the  Good  13  different  from  what  it  is  upon  ths 

Wicked  ; 


The  Divine  Providence.         i8i 

Wicked  :  The  Good  do  not  defire  MiracleSj  but 
they  believe  the  Miracles  which  are  recorded  in  the 
Word  ;  and  if  they  hear  any  Thing  of  a  Miracle, 
they  attend  no  otherwife  to  it  than  as  a  hght  Argu- 
ment which  confirms  their  Faith,  for  they  think 
from  the  Word,  confequently  from  the  Lord,  and 
not  from  a  Miracle.  It  is  otherwife  with  the  Wick- 
ed ;  they  indeed  may  be  compelled  and  forced  into 
Faith,  yea  into  Worlhip  and  Piety,  but  only  for  a 
ihort  Time  ;  for  their  Evils  are  fhut  in,  the  Concu- 
pifcences  of  which,  and  the  Delights  thence  derived, 
continually  ad  againfl  the  external  Principle  of  their 
Worfhip  and  Piety,  and  in  Order  that  thefe  Evils 
may  efcape  from  their  Confinement  and  break  out, 
they  think  of  the  Miracle,  and  at  length  call  it  a 
Delufion  or  an  Artifice,  or  an  Operation  of  Nature, 
and  fo  return  to  their  Evils  ;  and  he  who  returns 
to  his  Evils  after  Worfhip,  profanes  the  Truths  and 
Goods  of  Worfhip,  and  the  Lot  of  Profaners  after 
Death  is  the  word  of  all :  Thefe  are  they  v/ho  are 
meant  by  the  Lord's  Words  in  Matt.  xii.  43,  44, 
45  ;  whofe  laft  State  is  worfe  than  their  firft.  More- 
over, if  Miracles  were  to  be  wrought  before  thofe, 
who  do  not  believe  by  Virtue  of  the  Miracles  re- 
corded in  the  Word,  they  mufh  be  continually  per- 
formed, and  prefented  conftantly  to  View  with  fuch 
Perfons.  From  thefe  Confiderations  it  may  appear, 
whence  it  is  that  Miracles  are  not  performed  at  this 
Day. 

134.  IL  That  no  one  is  reformed  by  Vifions  and  by 
converfing  with  the  Dead,  becaufe  they  force.  Vifions 
are  of  two  Kinds,  Divine  and  diabolical  ;  Divine 
Vifions  are  effected  by  Reprefcntatives  in  Heaven  j 

and 


i82    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

and  diabolical  Vifions  are  effected  by  Magic  in  Hell : 
There  are  alfo  fantaftical  Vifions,  vi/hich  are  Illu- 
fions  of  an  abftract  Mind.     Divine  Vifions,  which, 
as  was  faid,  are  produced  by  Reprefentatives  in 
Heaven,  are  fuch  as  the  Prophets  had,  who,  when 
they  were  in  them,  v/ere  not  in  the  Body,  but  in 
the  Spirit  ;    for  Vifions  cannot  appear  to  any  Man 
when  his  Body  is  awake  ;  wherefore  when  they  ap- 
peared to  the  Prophets,  it  is  faid  alfo  that  they  were 
then  in  the  Spirit  ;    as  appears  from  the  following 
PaiTages  ;   Ezekiel  faith,  "  The  Spirit  took  me  up, 
and  brought   me  in  Vision,  in  the  Spirit  of 
God,  into  Chaldea,  to  them  of  the  Captivity ;    fo 
the  Vision  that  I  had  feen  went  up  from  me/'  xi, 
I,  24  :    Again  he  faith,  "  that  the  Spirit  took  him 
up  between  the  Earth  and  the  Heaven,  and  brought 
him  in  the  Visions  of  God  to  Jerufalem,'*  viii.  3  : 
In  like  Manner  he  was  in  a  Vifion  of  God,  or  in 
the  Spirit,  when  he  faw  four  Animals,  which  were 
Cherubim,  Chap.  i.  and  Chap,  x  :  As  alfo  when  he 
faw  the  new  Temple  and  the  new  Earth,  and  an 
Angel  meafuring  them.  Chap.  xl.  to  xlviii.    That  he 
was  then  in  the  Vifions  of  God,  he  declares.  Chap, 
xK  2,  26  :  And  that  he  was  in  the  Spirit,  Chap, 
xliii.  5.     In  a  limilar  State  was  Zechariah,  when  he 
faw  a  Man  riding  among  the  Myrtle  Trees,  Chap.  i. 
8  :  When  he  faw  the  four  Horns  and  a  Man  with  a 
meafuring  Line  in  his  Hand,  Chap.  ii.  1,3:  When 
he  faw  a  Candleftick  and  two  Olive  Trees,  Chap, 
iv.  I  :    When  he  faw  a  flying  Roll  and  an  Ephah, 
Chap.  V.  1,6:  When  he  faw  four  Chariots  coming 
out  from  between   four  Mountains,   and  Horfes, 
Chap.  vi.   ij  and  following  Verfes.      In  a  fimih 

State 


n«» 


The  Divine  Providence.         i8j 

State  was  Daniel,  when  he  faw  four  Beads  afcencU 
ing  out  of  the  Sea,  Chap.  vi.  i,  and  following  Ver- 
fes  :  And  when  he  faw  the  Battle  of  the  Ram  and 
the  He  Goat,  Chap.  vili.  i,  and  following  Verfes  : 
That  he  faw  thefe  Things  in  a  Vificn  of  his  Spirit, 
is  faid,  Chap.  vii.  i,  2,  7,  i  v  Chap.  viil.  2.  Chap. 
X.  I,  7,  8  :  And  that  the  Angel  Gabriel  was  ^een 
of  him  In  a  Vifion,  Chap.^k.  21.  John  alfo  was 
in  a  Vifion  of  the  Spirit,  when  he  faw  the  Things 
which  he  has  defcrlbed  in  the  Revelation  5  as  when 
he  faw  the  feven  Candle  flicks  and  the  Son  of  Man 
in  the  Midll  of  them.  Chap.  I.  12  to  16.  When 
he  faw  a  Throne  in  Heaven,  and  one  fitting  on  the 
Throne,  and  four  Animals  which  were  Cherubim,' 
round  about  It,  Chap.  iv.  When  he  faw  the  Book 
of  Life  taken  by  the  Lamb,  Chap.  v.  When  he 
faw  Horfes  coming  forth  out  of  the  Book,  Chap.  vi. 
When  he  law  feven  Angels  with  Trumpets,  Chap. 
viU.  When  he  faw  the  bottomlefs  Pit  opened,  and 
Locuils  coming  forth  out  of  It,  Chap.  ix.  When 
he  faw  the  Dragon  and  his  War  with  Michael, 
Chap.  xlL  When  he  faw  the  two  Beads,  one 
coming  out  of  the  Sea,  and  the  other  from  the 
Earth,  Chap.  siii.  When  he  faw  the  Woman  fit- 
ting upon  the  fcarlet  Beaft,  Chap.  xvii.  and  Baby- 
lon deftroyed,  Chap,  xviil.  When  he  faw  the 
white  Horfe,  and  Him  that  fat  thereon.  Chap.  xvii;. 
When  he  faw  the  New  Heaven  and  the  New  Earth, 
and  the  Holy  Jerufalem  coming  down  out  of  Heav- 
en, Chap.  xxi.  And  when  he  faw  the  River  of  the 
Water  of  Life,  Chap.  xxii.  That  he  faw  thefe 
Things  in  a  Villon  of  the  Spirit,  is  faid,  Chap.  i. 
I- 1.    Chap.  iv.  2o     Chap.  V,  I.    Chap.  vi.  i.    Chap. 

xxi. 


184    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

xxi.  12.  Such  were  the  Vifions,  which  appeared 
out  of  Heaven,  before  the  Sight  of  their  Spirit,  and 
not  before  the  Sight  of  their  Body.  Such  Vifions 
do  not  exid  at  this  Day,  for  if  they  did  exift,  they 
would  not  be  underllood,  becaufe  they  are  effefted 
by  Reprefentatives,  the  Particulars  of  which  fignify 
internal  Things  of  the  Church,  and  Arcana  of  Heav- 
en :  That  Vilions  were  alfo  to  ceafe  when  the  Lord 
came  into  the  World,  is  foretold  by  Daniel,  Chap, 
xi.  24.  But  diabolical  Vi/tofis  fometimes  have  exift- 
ed,  being  induced  by  Enthufiaftic  Spirits,  and  Vifion- 
aries,  who  from  the  Delirium  in  which  they  were, 
called  themfelves  the  Holy  Ghofl.  But  thofe  Spi- 
rits are  now  colleded  by  the  Lord,  and  cafl  into  a 
Hell  feparate  from  the  Hells  of  others.  Hence  it  is 
evident,  that  no  one  can  be  reformed  by  any  oth- 
er Vifions  than  what  are  recorded  in  the  Word. 
There  are  alfo  fantajlical  Vifions ^  but  thefe  are  mere 
lilufions  of  an  abftracl  Mind. 

1 3'44-«  That  neither  can  any  one  be  reformed  by 
fpeaking  with  the  Dead,  is  evident  from  the  Lord's 
Words  concerning  the  rich  Man  in  Hell,  and  Laz- 
arus in  the  Bofom  of  Abraham  ;  for  the  rich  Man 
faid,  ''  I  pray  thee^  Father  Abraham^  that  thou  woiildjl 
fend  La%arus  to  my  Tather'^s  Houfe  ;  for  I  hai-e  fve 
Brethren  ;  that  he  may  tejlify  unto  them^  lejl  they  alfo 
come  into  this  Place  of  Torment  :  Abraham  faid  unto 
him^  They  have  Mofes  and  the  Prophets^  let  them  hear 
them  :  But  he  faid ^  Nay^  Father  Abraham^  but  if  one 
vjent  unto  them  from  the  Dcad^  they  will  repent :  And 
he  faid  unto  him^  If  they  hear  not  Mofes  and  the  Proph- 
ets^ neither  will  they  be  perfuaded  though  one  rofe 
from  the  Decd^'  Luke  xvi.  27  to  31.      Speaking 

with 


The  Divine  Providence.         185 

Vith  the  Dead  would  have  the  fame  Efi<c1  as  jVIira- 
cles,  of  which  above  ;  vizi  that  a  Man  would  be 
perfuaded  and  compelled  to  Worlhip  for  a  fhort 
Time  ;  but  forafmuch  as  this  deprives  Man  of  Ra- 
tionality, and  at  the  fame  Time  fhuts  in  Evils,  as 
was  faid  above,  when  this  Charm  or  internal  Re- 
flraint  is  diiTolved,  the  included  Evils  break  our, 
with  Blafphemy  and  Profanation  :  But  this  only 
happens  when  Spirits  induce  fome  dogmatic  Princi- 
ple of  Religion,  which  is  never  done  by  any  good 
Spirit^  ftill  lefs  by  an  Angel  of  Heaven. 

135.  Neverthelefs,  to  fpeak  with  Spirits,  yet  rare- 
ly with  Angels  of  Heaven,  is  given,  and  hath  been 
given  for  many  Ages  back  ;  but  when  it  is  given, 
they  fpeak  with  Man  in  his  Mother  Tongue,  but 
only  a  few  Words  :  They,  howeves",  who  fpeak  by 
Permiffion  of  the  Lord,  never  fay  any  Thing  which 
takes  away  the  Freediom  of  Reafon,  nor  do  they 
teach  j  for  the  Lord  only  teacheth  Man,  but  medi-  . 
ately  through  the  Word  in  Illumination,  of  which 
we  ihall  fpeak  prefently  :  That  this  is  the  Cafe,  hath 
been  given  to  know  from  my  own  Experience  ;  I 
have  difcourfed  with  Spirits  and  with  Angels  now 
for  feveral  Years,  nor  durlt  any  Spirit,  neither 
would  any  Angel,  fay  any  Thing  to  me,  much  lefs 
inftrucl  me,  about  any  Thing  in  the  Word,  or  any 
Doctrinal  derived  from  the  Word,  but  the  Lord 
only  taught  me,  who  was  revealed  to  me,  and  after- 
wards continually  did  and  does  appear  before  my 
Eyes  as  the  Sun  in  Vvhich  he  is,  as  he  appeareth  to 
the  Angels,  and  illuminated  me. 

136.  IIL    T/bat  no  one  is  reformed  by  Threats  and 
Fumjhmcnti^  hecaufe  they  force  >    It  is  a  known  Thing, 

Z  that 


i86    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

that  the  External  cannot  force  the  Internal,  btit 
that  the  Internal  can  force  the  External  :  It  is  alfo 
known,  that  the  Internal  is  fo  averfe  to  Force  from 
the  External,  that  it  turneth  itfelf  away  :  And  it  is 
alfo  known,  that  external  Delights  allure  the  Inter- 
nal to  Confent  and  to  Love  :  It  may  alfo  be  known, 
that  there  exills  internal  Conftraint  and  internal 
Liberty.  But  all  thefe  Points,  although  they  are 
known,  are  nevenhelefs  to  be  illultrated  ;  for  there 
are  many  Things,  which,  when  they  are  heard,  are 
immediately  perceived  to  be  fo,  becaufe  they  are 
Truths,  and  thence  they  are  affirmed,  but  if  they 
aie  not  at  the  fame  Time  confirmed  by  Reafons, 
they  may  be  invalidated  by  Arguments  from  Falla- 
cies, and  at  length  denied  ;  wherefore  the  Things, 
which  are  now  mentioned  as  known,  are  to  be  re- 
affumed  and  rationally  confirmed.  First,  That  the 
External  cannot  force  the  Internal^  but  that  the  Inter^ 
nal  can  force  the  External  :  Who  can  be  forced  to 
believe  and  to  love  ?  It  is  not  polTible  for  any  one 
to  be  forced  to  believe,  any  more  than  to  think  that 
a  Thing  is  fo.  v/hen  he  doth  not  think  fo  ;  and  it  is 
not  pofiible  for  any  one  to  be  forced  to  love,  any 
more  than  to  will  that  which  he  doth  not  will,  for 
Belief  is  of  the  Thought,  and  Love  is  of  the  Will : 
But  the  Internal  by  the  External  may  be  forced  not 
to  fpeak  ill  againft  the  Laws  of  the  Kingdom,  the 
Mor^ils  of  Life,  and  the  Sanctities  of  the  Church  ; 
the  Internal  may  be  forceii  to  this  by  Threats  and 
Punifhments,  and  alfo  is  forced  and  ought  to  be 
forced  \  but  this  Internal  is  not  an  Internal  properly 
human,  but  it  is  an  Internal  which  Man  hath  iii 
common  with  Beads,  which  alfo  can  be  forced  j 

the 


The  Divine  Providence.         187 

the  human  Internal  refides  above  this  animal  Inter- 
nal :  The  human  Internal  is  here  meant,  which 
cannot  be  forced.  Secondly,  Thai  the  Internal  is 
fo  averfe  to  Force  from  the  External^  that  it  turneth 
it/elf  away  ;  the  Reafon  is,  becaufe  the  Internal 
willeth  to  be  at  Liberty,  and  loves  Liberty  ;  for  Lib- 
erty is  of  the  Love  or  of  the  Life  of  Man,  as  was 
fliewn  above  ;  wherefore  when  Liberty  perceiveth 
itfelf  to  be  forced,  it  withdraws  itfelf  as  it  were 
within  itfelf,  and  averteth  itfelf,  and  regardeth 
Force  as  its  Enemy  ;  for  the  Love,  which  maketh 
the  Life  of  Man,  is  exafperated,  and  caufeth  Man 
to  think,  that  thus  he  is  not  his  own,  corifequently 
that  he  doth  not  live  to  himfelf.  The  Reafon  why 
the  Internal  of  Man  is  fuch,  is  grounded  in  the 
Law  of  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord,  that 
Man  may  adt  from  Liberty  according  to  Reafon. 
Hence  it  is  evident,  that  to  force  Men  to  Divine 
Worfhip  by  Threats  and  Punifliments,  is  hurtful. 
But  there  are  fome  who  fuffer  themfelves  to  be  for- 
ced  to  Religion,  and  there  are  fome  who  do  not  ; 
they  who  fuffer  themfelves  to  be  forced  to  Religion, 
are  many  of  the  Papifls,  but"  tiiis  is  the  Cafe  with 
thofe,  in  whom  there  is  Nothing  internal  in  Wor- 
fhip, but  all  is  external  :  They  who  do  not  fuffer 
themfelves  to  be  forced,  are  many  of  the  Englifh 
Nation,  and  hence  it  comes  to  pafs  that  there  is  an 
Internal  in  their  Worfhip,  and  what  Is  in  the  Exter- 
nal is  from  the  Internal  :  The  Interiors  of  thefe 
latter,  as  to  Religion,  appear  in  fpiritual  Light  like 
white  Clouds  ;  but  the  Interiors  of  the  former,  as 
to  Religion,  appear  in  the  Light  of  Heaven  like 
dark  Clouds :  Both  thefe  Appearances  are  given  to 

be 


i88    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

be  feen  in  the  fplrltual  World,  and  whoever  will 
may  fee  them,  when  he  enters  that  World  after 
Death  :  Moreover,  conftrained  Worfhip  fhuts  in 
Evils,  which  in  fuch  Cafe  lie  hid  like  Fire  in  Wood 
under  the  Afhes,  which  continually  kindleth  and 
diiateth  itfelf,  until  it  breaketh  out  into  a  Flame  ; 
whereas  Worfnip,  which  is  not  conftrained,  but 
fpoutaneous,  doth  not  ihut  in  Evils  ;  wherefore 
ihey  are  like  Fires  which  immediately  burn  out  and 
are  difperfed.  From  thefe  Confiderations  it  is  evi- 
dent, that  the  Internal  hath  fuch  a  Repugnance  to 
Reuraint,  that  it  averteth  itfelf.  The  Reafon  why 
the  Internal  can  force  the  External,  is,  becaufe  the 
Internal  is  like  a  Mailer,  and  the  External  is  like  a 
Servant.  Thirdly,  That  Exterrial  Delights  allure 
the  Internal  to  Confent^  and  alfo  to  Lcvs  :  Delights 
are  of  two  Kinds,  I)elights  of  the  Undei /landing 
and  Delights  of  the  Will,  the  Delights  of  the  Un- 
derftanding  are  alfo  Delights  of  Wifdom,  and  the 
Delights  of  the  Will  are  alfo  Delights  of  Love,  for 
Wifdom  is  of  the  Underflanding,  and  Love  is  of 
the  Will  :  Now  forafmuch  as  the  Delights  of  the 
Body  and  of  its  Senfes,  which  are  external  Delights, 
act  as  one  with  internal  Delights,  which  are  of  the 
ijnderilanding  and  of  the  Will,  it  follows,  that  as 
the  Internal  refufeth  Conilraint  from  the  External, 
infomuch  that  it  turneth  itfelf  away,  fo  the  Internal 
gratefully  beholds  Delight  in  the  External,  info- 
much  that  it  turneth  itfelf  to  it  ;  thus  is  produced 
Confent  on  the  Part  of  the  Underflanding,  and 
Love  on  the  Part  of  the  Will.  All  Infants  in  the 
fpiritual  World  are  introduced  into  angelic  Wifdom, 
ind  by  it  into  celeftial  Love,  by  Delights  and  Pleaf-T 

antnefTe? 


The  Divine  Providence.         189 

jantneiTes  from  the  Lord,  firft  by  beautiful  Objc6ls 
in  Houfes,  and  by  pleafant  Things  in  Gardens,  then 
by  Reprefentatives  of  Things  fpirltual,  which  affeft 
the  Interiors  of  their  Minds  with  Pleafure,  and  lad- 
ly  by  Truths  of  Wifdom,  and  fo  by  Goods  of  Love  j 
thus  continually  by  Delights  in  their  Order,  firft  by 
the  Delights  of  Love  of  the  Underftanding  and  its 
Wifdom,  and  laftly  by  the  Delights  of  the  Love  of 
the  Will,  which  becomes  their  Life's  Love,  under 
which  the  other  Things,  which  entered  by  Delights, 
are  kept  fubordinate.  This  is  done,  becaufe  all  of 
the  Underftanding  and  Will  is  to  be  formed  by  the 
External,  before  it  is  formed  by  the  Internal ;  for  all 
of  the  Underftanding  and  Will  is  formed  firft  by  the 
Things  which  enter  through  the  Senfcs  of  the  Body, 
efpecially  through  the  Sight  and  Hearing  ;  but 
when  the  firft  Underftanding  and  the  firft  Will  are 
formed,  then  the  Internal  of  Thought  regards  them 
as  the  External  of  its  Thought,  and  either  conjoin- 
eth  itfelf  with  them,  or  feparates  itfelf  from  them  ; 
it  conjoineth  itfelf  with  them  if  they  are  delightful, 
and  feparates  itfelf  from  them  if  they  are  not.  But 
it  is  well  to  be  attended  to,  that  the  Internal  of  the 
Underftanding  doth  not  join  itfelf  with  the  Internal 
of  the  Will,  but  that  the  Internal  of  the  Will  join- 
eth  itfelf  with  the  Internal  of  the  Underftanding, 
and  caufeth  a  reciprocal  Conjundion  ;  but  this  is 
done  by  the  Internal  of  the  Will,  and  not  at  all  by 
the  Internal  of  the  Underftanding.  Hence  it  is, 
that  Man  cannot  be  reformed  by  Faith  alone,  but 
by  the  Love  of  the  Will  which  formeth  Faith  to 
itfelf.  Fourthly,  That  there  exijis  internal  Con^ 
jiraint  and  internal  Liberty  :  Internal  Conftraint  ex* 

ifts 


190    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

ifts  with  thofe,  who  are  in  external  Worfhip  alone 
and  in  no  internal ,  for  their  Internal  is  to  think 
and  will  that,  to  which  their  External  is  forced  ; 
thefe  are  they  who  are  in  the  Worfhip  of  Men  liv- 
ing and  dead,  and  thence  in  the  Worfhip  of  Idols, 
and  in  the  Faith  of  Miracles  j  in  thefe  there  doth 
not  exiil  any  Internal,  but  what  at  the  fame  Time 
is  external.  But  with  thole  who  are  in  the  Internal 
of  Worfhip,  there  is  given  internal  Coniiraint,  one 
Kind  from  Fear,  and  another  from  Love  ;  internal 
Conflraint  from  Fear,  is  in  thofe,  who  are  in  Wor- 
fhip from  the  Fear  of  infernal  Torment  and  its  Fire  ; 
but  this  Internal  is  not  the  Internal  of  Thought, 
which  was  before  treated  of,  but  the  External  of 
Thought,  v;hich  is  here  called  Internal  becaufe  it  is 
of  Thought  j  the  Internal  of  Thought,  which  was 
before  treated  of,  cannot  be  forced  or  conftrained 
by  any  Fear ;  but  it  can  be  forced  by  Love  and  by 
the  Fear  of  lofmg  it ;  the  Fear  of  God  in  a  genuine 
Senfe  is  Nothing  elfe  ;  to  be  forced  by  Love  and  by 
the  Fear  of  lofmg  it,  is  to  force  one's  Self  ;  that  ta 
force  one's  Self  is  not  againft  Liberty  and  Rational 
ity,  will  be  feen  below. 

137.  Hence  it  may  appear,  what  conilrained 
Worfhip  is,  and  what  unconflrained  Worfhip  is  j 
conftrained  Worfhip  is  corporeal,  inanimate,  ob- 
fcure,  and  gloomy  Worfhip  ;  corporeal,  becaufe  it 
is  of  the  Body,  and  not  of  the  Mind  ;  inanimate,  be- 
caufe there  is  no  Life  in  it ;  obfcure,  becaufe  there  is 
no  Underflanding  in  it ;  and  gloomy,  becaufe  there 
is  no  Delight  of  Heaven  in  it.  But  unconflrained 
Worfhip,  when  it  is  genuine,  is  fpirltual,  Hving, 
iucid,  and  joyful  Worfliip  ;  fpiritual,  becaufe  there 

is 


The  Divine  Providence.         191 

5s  Spirit  from  the  Lord  in  it ;  living,  becaufe  there 
is  Life  from  the  Lord  in  it  ;  lucid,  becaufe  there  is 
Wifdom  from  the  Lord  in  it ;  and  joyful,  becaufe 
there  is  Heaven  from  the  Lord  in  it. 

138.  IV,  That  no  one  is  reformed  in  States  of  Non- 
Rationality  and  of  Non-Liberty  :  It  was  fixewn  above, 
that  Nothing  is  appropriated  to  Man,  but  what  he 
doeth  from  Liberty  according  to  Reafon  ;  the  Rea- 
fon  is,  becaufe  Liberty  is  of  the  Will,  and  Reafon  is 
of  the  Underflanding,  and  when  Man  ads  from 
Liberty  according  to  Reafon,  then  he  ads  from  his 
Will  through  his  Underflanding,  and  what  is  done 
in  Conjun(5lion  of  both,  that  is  appropriated.  Now 
forafmuch  as  the  Lord  willeth,  that  Man  fliould  be 
reformed  and  regenerated,  that  he  may  have  eter- 
nal Life  or  the  Life  of  Heaven,  and  no  one  can  be 
reformed  and  regenerated,  unlefs  Good  be  appro- 
priated to  his  Will  that  it  may  be  as  it  were  his 
own,  and  Truth  to  his  Underftanding  that  it  may 
alfo  be  as  it  were  his  own  ;  and  forafmuch  as  Noth- 
ing can  be  appropriated  to  any  one,  but  what  is  from 
the  Liberty  of  his  Will  according  to  the  Reafon  of 
his  Underllanding,  it  follows,  that  no  one  is  reform- 
ed in  States  of  Non-Liberty  and  of  Non-Rationality. 
States  of  Non-Liberty  and  Non-Rationality  are  fev- 
eral  ;  but  in  general  they  may  be  referred  to  thefe. 
States  of  Fear  of  Misfortune^  a  difcafed  State  of  Mind^ 
bodily  Sicknefs^  Ignorance^  and  Blindnefs  of  the  Under- 
fianding  ;  but  of  each  State  Something  {hall  be  faid 
in  particular. 

139.  The  Reafon  why  no  one  is  reformed  in  a 
State  of  Fear,  is,  becaufe  Fear  taketh  av/ay  Free- 
will and  Reafon,  or  Liberty  and  Rationality ;  for 

Love 


192    Angelic  Wisdom  co^cERrriNG 

Love  openeth  the  Interiors  of  the  Mind,  but  Feat 
fhuts  them,  and  when  tliey  are  fhut,  Man  thinks 
little  J  and  only  what  offers  itfelf  to  the  Mind  and 
Senfes  :  Such  is"  the  Effecl  of  all  Fears  which  invade 
t\\&  Mind.  That  man  hatli  an  internal  Principle  of 
Thou^^ht,  and  an  external  Principle  of  Though:, 
was  fhewn  above :  Fear  never  can  invade  the  inter-^ 
nap  Principle  of  Thought,  this  Principle  being  al- 
ways in  Freedom,  becaufe  it  is  in  its  Life's  Love  5 
but  it  can  invade  the  external  Principle  of  Thought^ 
and  when  it  invades  this  Principle,  the  internal  Prin-^ 
ciple  of  Thought  is  ihut,  and  this  being  fhut,  Man 
can  no  longer  act  from  Liberty  according  to  bis 
Reafon  ;  therefore  cannot  be  reformed.  The  Fear 
which  invades  the  external  Principle  of  Thought^ 
and  clofeth  the  internal,  is  principally  the  Fear  of 
the  Lofs  of  Honour  or  of  Interefl ;  but  Fear  for  civ* 
il  Punilhments,  and  for  external  ecclefialHcal  Pun- 
iilmients,  doth  not  clofe  it,  becaufe  thefe  Laws  only 
prefcribe  Punilhments  for  thofe  who  fpeak  and  aci' 
i^gainft  the  civil  Inftitutions  of  a  Kingdom  and  the 
fpiritual  ones  of  the  Church,  but  not  for  thofe  who 
think  againil  them.  The  Fear  of  infernal  Punifh- 
ment  indeed  invades  the  external  Principle  of 
Thought,  but  only  for  fome  Moments,  or  Hours,  or 
Days,  but  afterwards  this  is  reftored  to  its  Liberty 
from  the  internal  Principle  of  thought,  which  is 
properly  of  Man's  Spirit  and  Life's  Love,  and  is  call- 
ed the  ThouG^ht  of  the  Heart.  But  Fear  for  the 
Lofs  of  Honour  and  Intereil  invades  the  external 
Principle  of  the  Thought  of  Man,  and  when  it  in. 
vades,  it  fliuts  the  internal  Principle  of  Thought 
above  againft  the  Influx  from  Heaven,  and  caufeth 

that. 


The  Divine  Providence.         193 

that  a  Man  cannot  be  reformed  :  The  Reafon  is,  be- 
caule  the  Life's  Lo\^e  of  every  Man  is  by  Birth  the 
Love  of  Self  and  of  the  World,  and  the  Love  of  Self 
maketh  one  with  the  Love  of  Honour,  and  the  Lo\  e 
of  the  World  maketh  one  with  the  Love  of  Interefl ; 
wherefore  when  a  Man  is  in  PolTeffion  of  Honour  or 
of  Interelt,  out  of  Fear  for  the  Lofs  of  them,  he  con- 
firms in  himfelf  Means,  which  are  fubfervient  to 
Honour  and  Intereft,  and  which  are  as  well  of  a 
civil  as  an  ecclefiaftical  Nature,  both  refpecling  Gov-* 
ernment ;  in  like  Manner  he  adeth,  who  is  not  yet 
in  Poileffion  of  Honour  or  Lucre,  if  he  afpires  to 
them,  but  out  of  Fear  for  the  Lofs  of  Reputation  for 
the  Sake  of  them.  It  is  faid  that  this  Fear  invades 
the  external  Principle  of  Thought^  and  fhuts  the  in- 
ternal above  againfl  Influx  from  Heaven  ;  this  latter 
Principle  is  faid  to  be  Ihut  or  clofed,  when  it  entirely 
ads  as  one  with  the  External,  for  then  it  is  not  in 
itfelf,  but  in  the  External.  But  forafmuch  as  the 
Loves  of  Self  and  of  the  World  are  infernal  Loves, 
and  the  Sources  of  all  Evils,  it  is  evident  of  what  Na- 
ture the  internal  Principle  of  Thought  is,  in  itfelf, 
with  thofe  in  whom  thefe  Loves  reign  or  are  the 
Life's  Loves,  namely,  that  it  is  full  of  Concupifcences 
of  Evils  of  all  Kinds.  This  they  do  not  know,  who, 
from  the  Feai;  of  the  Lofs  of  Dignity  and  Opulence, 
are  in  a  powerful  Perluafion  of  the  Religion  in 
which  they  are  principled,  efpecialiy  in  a  Religion 
which  involves,  that  they  fliould  be  worfiiipped  as 
Deities,  and  at  the  fame  Time  as  Plutos  in  IltU ; 
thefe  can  burn  as  it  were  with  Zeal  for  the  Salvation 
of  Souls,  and  this  neverthelefs  from  infernal  Fire. 
Whereas  this  Fear  efpecially  taketh  away  Rational- 
A  A  ity 


194    Angelic  Wisdom   concerning 

ity  itfelf,  and  Liberty  itfelf,  which  are  of  celeftial 
Origin,  it  is  evident  that  it  is  an  Obflacle  to  Man*» 
being  reformed. 

140.  The  Reafon  why  no  one  is  reformed  in  a 
S  FATE  OF  Misfortune,  if  he  then  only  thinketh 
of  God  and  iniploreth  Afliftance,  is,  becaufe  it  is  a 
State  of  Conilraint ;  wherefore  when  he  cometh  in- 
to a  State  of  Liberty,  he  returneth  iiito  his  former 
Stare,  in  which  he  had  thought  little  if  any  Thing  of 
God  :  Not  fo  they,  who  feared  God  before,  in  a 
State  of  Liberty.  By  fearing  God  is  meant  to  fear 
to  offend  him,  and  to  offend  him  is  to  fm  ;  and  this 
is  not  of  Fear,  but  of  Love  :  Who  that  loveth  any 
one,  doth  not  fear  to  do  him  Harm,  and  the  more 
he  loveth  him,  the  more  he  feareth  it  ?  Without  this 
Fear,  Love  is  lifelefs  and  fuperiicial,  appertaining  to 
the  Thought  only,  and  not  to  the  Will.  By  States 
of  Misfortune  are  meant  States  of  Defperation  from 
Dangers,  as  in  Battles,  Duels,  Shipwrecks,  Falls, 
Fires,  imminent  or  unexpe6led  Lofs  of  Wealth,  alfo 
of  Office  and  thence  of  Honour,  and  other  fuch-like 
Cafes:  In  thefe  only  to  think  of  God,  is  not  from 
God,  but  from  Self;  for  then  the  Mind  is  as  it  were 
imprilbned  in  the  P.-^dy,  therefore  not  in  Liberty, 
and  thence  neither  in  Rationality,  without  which 
Reformation  is  not  given. 

141.  The  Reafon  why  no  one  is  reformed  in  a 
DISORDERED  State  OF  MiND,  is,  bccaufe  Difeafe 
of  the  Mind  {Mgritiido  Auhnt)  taketh  away  Ration- 
ality,'and  thereby  the  Liberty  of  ailing  according  to 
Reafon  ;  for  a  difordered  or  fick  Mind  is  not  found, 
and  the  found  Mind  is  rational,  and  not  the  Tick 
Mind.  Such  Diforders  of  the  Mind  are  Melancho- 
lies, 


The  Divine  Providence.         195 

lies,  fpurlous  and  falfe  Confciences,  Phantafies  of  va* 
rious  Kinds,  Grief  of  Mind  from  Misfortunes,  Anx- 
ieties and  iVnguiih  of  Mind  from  a  Difeafe  of  the 
Body,  which  are  fometimes  confidered  as  Tempta- 
tions, but  they  are  not,  becaufe  genuine  Temptations 
have  for  their  Object  fpiritual  Things,  and  in  thefe 
the  Mind  is  wife,  but  the  former  have  for  their  Ob- 
ject natural  Things,  and  in  thefe  the  Mind  is 
infane. 

142.  The  Reafon  why  no  one  is  reformed  in  a 
State  of  Bodily  Disease,  is,  becaufe  Reafon 
then  is  not  in  a  free  State,  for  the  State  of  the  Mind 
depends  upon  the  State  of  the  Body  ;  when  the  Body 
is  fick,  the  Mind  alfo  is  fick,  if  not  otherwife,  yet 
by  being  removed  from  the  World,  for  a  Mind  re- 
moved from  the  World  thinks  indeed  of  God,  but 
not  from  God,  for  it  is  not  irx  the  Liberty  of  Reafon  j 
^lan  hath  Freedom  of  Reafon  from  this  Circum- 
ftance,  that  he  is  in  the  Midil  between  Heaven  and 
the  World,  and  that  he  can  think  from  Heaven  and 
from  the  World,  alfo  from  Heaven  concerning  the 
World,  and  from  the  World  concerning  Heaven  : 
When  therefore  a  Man  is  in  a  Difeafe,  and  thinketh 
of  Death,  and  of  the  State  of  his  Soul  after  Death, 
then  he  is  not  in  the  World,  and  is  ab (trailed  in 
Spirit,  in  which  State  alone  no  one  can  be  reformed  ; 
but  he  may  hereby  be  confirmed,  if  he  was  reformed 
before  he  fell  into  the  Difeafe.  It  is  the  fame  with 
thofe  who  renounce  the  World  and  all  Bufmefs  in 
it,  and  give  themfclves  up  folely  to  Thoughts  con- 
cerning God,  Heaven,  and  Salvation ;  but  of  this 
more  elfewhere.  Wherefore  the  fame,  if  they  are 
npt  reformed  before  the  Difeafe,  after  it,  if  they 

die. 


igS    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

die,  become  furh  as  they  were  before  the  Difeafe ; 
hence  it  is  a  vain  Thing  to  think,  that  any  can  re* 
pent,  or  receive  any  Faith  under  Difeafes,  for  there 
is  Nothing  of  Adion  in  that  Repentance,  and  Noth- 
ing of  Charity  in  that  Faith,  wherefore  all  is  of  the 
Mouth,  and  Nothing  of  the  Heart  in  both. 

143.  The  Reafon  why  no  one  is  reformed  in  a 
Statk  of  Ignorance,  is,  becaufe  all  Keformation 
is  effeded  by  Truths,  and  by  a  Life  according  to 
them,  wherefore  they  who  do  not  know  Truths,  can- 
not  be  reformed ;  but  if  they  defire  Truths  from 
the  Affeftion  thereof,  they  are  reformed  in  the  fpi- 
ritual  World  after  Death, 

144,  That  neither  can  any  be  reformed  in  a 
State  of  Blindness  of  the  Understanding  : 
Thefe  alfo  do  not  know  Truths,  confequently  nei» 
ther  do  they  know  Life, for  Underftanding  mufl  teach 
them,  and  the  Will  muft  do  them,  and  when  the 
Will  doeth  what  the  Underftanding  teacheth,  then 
it  hath  Life  according  to  Truths  ;  but  when  the 
Underilanding  is  blinded,  the  Will  alfo  is  clofed, 
and  doth  not  do  from  Liberty  according  to  Reafon 
sny  Thing  but  the  Evil  confirmed  in  the  Under- 
ilanding, which  is  Falfe.  Religion  alfo,  as  well  as 
Ignorance,  blindeth  the  Underftanding,  when  it 
teacheth  a  blind  Faith  :  So  doth  Doclrine  of  what 
is  falfe  ;  for  as  Truths  open  the  Underftanding,  h 
falfe  Principles  iliut  it ;  they  fhut  it  above,  but  open 
it  below,  and  the  Underftanding,  open  only  below, 
cannot  fee  Truths,  but  only  confirm  whatfoever  it 
willeth,  efpeclally  what  is  falfe,  The  Underftand- 
ing  is  alfo  blinded  by  the  Lufts  of  Evil  ;  fo  long  as 
the  Will  is  in  fuch  Lufts,  it  forceth  the  Underftand-^ 


The  Divine  Providence, 


197 


ing  to  confirm  them  ;  and  as  far  as  the  Lufts  of 
Evil  are  confirmed,  fo  far  the  Will  cannot  be  in  Af- 
fedions  of  Good,  and  from  them  fee  Truths,  and  fo 
be  reformed.  As  for  Example  ;  when  a  Man  is  in 
the  Luft  of  Adultery,  his  Will,  which  is  in  the  De- 
light of  his  Love,  forceth  his  Underilanding  to  con- 
firm it,  by  faying.  What  is  Adultery  ?  Is  there  any 
Harm  in  it  ?  Is  there  not  the  fame  Harm  in  the 
Connexion  between  Hufband  and  Wifp  ?  Cannot 
Children  equally  be  born  from  Adultery  ?  Cannot 
a  Woman  admit  more  than  one  without  any  Harm  ? 
What  hath  any  fpiritual  Confideration  to  do  in  this 
Cafe  ?  Thus  doth  the  Underftanding,  which  then 
is  the  Harlot  of  the  Will,  think,  and  fo  flupid  is  it 
made  by  its  Whoredom  with  the  Will,  that  it  can- 
not fee  that  conjugal  Love  is  fpiritual  celellial  Love 
itfelf,  which  is  an  Image  of  the  Love  of  the  Lord 
and  of  the  Church,  from  which  alfo  it  is  derived, 
find  thus  that  in  itfelf  it  is  holy,  being  effential 
Chaflity,  Purity,  and  Innocence  ;  and  that  it  ma- 
5k.eth  Men  Loves  in  Form,  for  married  Pairs  can 
love  each  other  mutually  from  their  inmofi:  Souls, 
and  fo  form  themfelves  into  Loves  ;  and  that  Adul- 
tery dellroyeth  this  Form,  and  with  it  the  Image  of 
the  Lord  ;  and  what  is  horrible,  that  the  Adulterer 
mixeth  his  Life  with  the  Life  of  the  Hufband  in 
his  Wife,  for  in  the  Seed  is  the  Life  of  Man  :  And 
forafmuch  as  this  is  profane,  therefore  Hell  is  call- 
ed Adultery,  and  on  the  contrary  Heaven  is  called 
Marriage  :  The.  Love  of  Adultery  alfo  communi- 
cates with  the  lowed  Hell,  but  Love  truly  conjugal 
with  the  inmofl  Heaven  ;  the  Members  of  .Genera- 
tion of  both  Sexes  alfo  cortefpond  to  Societies  of 

the 


igS    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

the  inmoll  Heaven.  Thefe  Particulars  are  adduced, 
that  it  may  be  known,  how  much  the  Underftand- 
ing  is  blinded  when  the  Will  is  in  the  Lull  of  Evil ; 
and  that  in  a  State  of  Blindnefs  of  the  Underfland- 
ing  no  one  can  be  reformed. 

145.  V.  That  it  is  not  contrary  to  Rationality  and 
Liberty  for  a  Man  to  force  himfef  It  was  ihewa 
above,  that  Man  hath  an  internal  Principle  of 
Thought,  and  an  external  Principle  of  Thought, 
and  that  they  are  dillind  as  Prior  and  Pofterior,  or 
as  Superior  and  Inferior  ;  and  forafmuch  as  they 
are  fo  diftini^l,  it  was  Ihewn  that  they  can  aO:  fepa- 
rately,  and  can  ad  in  Conjundion  ;  they  a£l  fepa- 
rately,  when  a  Man  fpeaketh  and  acleth  from  the 
external  Principle  of  his  Thought  otherwife  than 
he  interiorly  thinketh  and  willeth  ;  and  they  acl  in 
Conjundion,  when  he  fpeaketh  and  doeth  what  he 
interiorly  thinketh  and  willeth  ;  the  latter  Cafe  is 
common  with  the  fmcere,  but  the  former  with  the 
infmcere.  Now  forafmuch  as  the  internal  and  the 
external  Principles  of  the  Mind  are  fo  diftind,  the 
Internal  can  alfo  fight  with  the  External,  and  by 
Combat  compel  him  to  confent  :  Combat  exifts, 
%vhen  Man  thinketh  Evils  to  be  Sins,  and  therefore 
willeth  to  defifb  from  them,  for  when  he  defifteth, 
the  Door  is  opened,  which  being  opened,  the  Con- 
cupifcences  of  Evil,  which  befieged  the  internal  Prin- 
ciple of  Thought,  are  cad  out  by  the  Lord,  and  in 
Place  thereof  are  implanted  Alfedions  of  Good ; 
and  this  in  the  internal  Principle  of  Thought : 
But  whereas  the  Delights  of  the  Concupifcences 
of  Evil,  which  befiege  the  external  Principle  of 
Thought,  cannot  at  the  fame  Time  be  call  out, 

therefore 


The  Divine  Providence;.         199 

therefore  a  Combat  exifls  between  the  internal  and 
the  external  Principle  of  Thought  ;  the  Internal 
willeth  to  cafl  out  thofe  Delights,  becaufe  they  are 
Delights  of  Evil,  and  do  not  accord  with  the  Affec- 
tions of  Good,  in  which  the  Internal  now  is,  and  in 
Place  of  the  Delights  of  Evil  to  introduce  Delights 
of  Good,  which  accord  ;  the  Delights  of  Good  are 
what  are  called  Goods  of  Charity.  From  this  Con- 
trariety arifeth  a  Combat,  which,  if  it  becometh 
grievous,  is  called  Temptation.  Now  forafmuch 
as  Man  is  Man  by  Virtue  of  the  internal  Principle 
of  his  Thought,  this  being  the  Spirit  of  Man  itfelf, 
it  is  evident  that  Man  forceth  himfelf,  when  he 
forceth  the  external  Principle  of  his  Thought  to 
confent  to  or  to  receive  the  Delights  of  his  Affec- 
tions, which  are  Goods  of  Charity.  That  this  is 
not  contrary  to  Rationality  and  Liberty,  but  con- 
formable to  them,  is  evident,  for  Rationahty  cauf- 
eth  the  above  Combat,  and  Liberty  executes  it  ; 
Liberty  itfelf  alfo  with  Rationality  refides  in  the  in^ 
ternal  Man,  and  from  the  Internal  in  the  External. 
When  therefore  the  Internal  conquereth,  which  i:> 
the  Cafe  when  the  Internal  hath  reduced  the  Exter- 
nal to  Confent  and  Obedience,  then  Liberty  itfelf 
and  Rationality  itfelf  are  given  Man  by  the  Lord  ; 
for  then  Man  is  delivered  by  the  Lord  from  infernal 
Liberty,  which  in  itfelf  is  Servitude,  and  placed  in 
celeftial  Liberty,  which  in  itfelf  is  real  Libertv,  and 
it  is  given  him  to  aflbclate  with  Angels.  That  they 
are  'Servants  who  are  in  Sins,  and  that  the  Lord 
maketh  them  free,  who  receive  Truth  from  Him 
through  the  Word,  he  himfelf  teacheth  in  John, 
Chap.  viii.  31  to  ^6, 

J  46.  Let 


200    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

146.  Let  us  take  an  Example  by  Way  of  Illuf- 
tration  :  Suppofe  a  Man,  who  had  perceived  De- 
light in  Frauds  and  clandeftine  1  hefts,  to  fee  and 
acknowledge  that  they  are  Sins,  and  therefore  to 
will  to  defiil  from  them  ;  when  he  defifleth,  then 
arifes  a  Combat  of  the  internal  Man  with  the  exter- 
nal ;  the  internal  M?ai  is  in  the  Affedion  of  Sincer- 
ity, but  the  external  as  yet  in  the  Delight  of  De- 
fraudation ;  which  Delight,  becaufe  it  is  altogether 
oppofite  to  the  Delight  of  Sincerity,  doth  not  recede, 
unlefs  it  be  compelled,  neither  can  it  be  compelled 
without  a  Combat,  arid  then  when  he  overcomes, 
the  external  Man  cometh  into  the  Delight  of  the 
Love  of  Sincerity,  which  is  Charity  ;  afterwards 
fucceflively  the  Delight  of  Defraudation  becometlv 
undelightful  to  him.  It  is  fimilar  with  other  Sins, 
as  with  Adulteries  and  Fornications,  Revenges  and 
Hatreds,  Blafphemies  and  Lies.  But  the  moft  dif^ 
iicult  Combat  of  all  is  with  the  Love  of  Dominion 
from  the  Love  of  Self;  he  who  fubdueth  this,  eafily 
fubdueth  other  evil  Loves,  becaufe  it  is  the  Head  of 
them. 

147.  We  fhall  alfo  briefly  fhew,  how  the  Lord 
cafiieth  out  the  Concupifcences  of  Evil,  which  be- 
fiege  the  internal  Man  from  his  Birth,  and  in  Place 
of  them  planteth  Affections  of  Good,  v/hen  Man  as 
from  himftlf  removeth  Evils  as  Sins  :  It  was  fnewn 
above,  that -Man  hath  a  natural  Mind,  a  fpiritu- 
al  Mind,  and  a  celeilial  Mind  ;  and  that  Man  is  in 
the  natural  Mind  only,  as  long  as  he  is  in  the  Con- 
cupifcences of  Evil  and  their  Delights,  and  that  fo 
long  the  fpiritual  Mind  is  fliut ;  but  as  foon  ^s  Man 
after  Seif-exammation  acknowledgeth  Evils  as  Sins 

againft 


The    iDlVlKJE    pROVIJDENCDe  201 

againfl:  God,  becaufe  they  are  contrary  to  the  Di- 
vine Laws,  and  therefore  v/ilieth  to  defift  from 
them,  then  the  Lord  opcneth  the  fpiritual  Tvlind,  and 
entereth  into  the  natural  by  the  Affedions  of  Truth 
and  Goodiiefs,  and  entereth  into  the  rational,  and 
from  it  difpofeth  in  Order  the  Thing,^.^  which  are 
contrary  to  Order  below  in  the  natural :  This 
it  is  which  appeareth  to  Man  as  a  Combat,  and  in 
thofe  who  have  indulged  much  in  the  Delights  of 
£vil,  as  TenTptation  ;  for  it  gives  Pain  to  the  Mind, 
when  the  Order  of  its  Thoughts  is  inverted.  Now 
forafmuch  as  the  Combat  is  againfl  the  Things 
which  are  in  Man  himfelf,  and  which  Man  iecls  as 
his  own>  and  no  one  can  figlit  againft  himfelf  ex* 
Cept  from  what  is  interior  in  himleif,  and  except 
from  Liberty  there,  it  follows,  that  the  internal  Man 
then  fighteth  againft  the  external,  ar^d  that  he  do- 
eth  it  from  Liberty,  and  that  he  forceth  the  Exter- 
nal to  Obedience  ;  this  therefore  is  to  force  hin-felf : 
That  this  is  not  contrary  to  Liberty  and  Rationality, 
but  according  to  them,  is  evident. 

148.  Moreover  every  Man  willeth  to  be  free^ 
and  not  to  remove  Liberty  but  Servitude  from  him- 
felf ;  every  Boy,  who  is  under  a  Mafter,  willeth  to  be 
his  own  Mafter,  and  fo  to  be  free  ;  the  fame  is  true 
of  every  Man-Servant  under  his  Mafter,  and  of  eve- 
ry Maid-Servant  under  her  Miftrefs  ;  every  Virgin 
alfo  willeth  to  depart  out  of  her  Father's  Houfe  and 
marry,  that  fhe  may  ad  freely  in  her  own  Houfe  ; 
every  Youth  who  willeth  to  work,  or  traffic,  or  ex- 
ercife  fome  Office,  while  he  is  in  Servitude  under 
others,  willeth  to  be  emancipated,  that  he  may  be 
his  own  Mafter  :  All  they,  who  ferve  fpontancoufly 
B  B  -     for 


202     Angelic  Wisdom  concjirninC: 

for  the  Sake  of  Liberty,  force  themfelves,  and  hit 
forcing  themfelves  they  acl  from  Liberty  according 
to  Reafon,  but  from  interior  Liberty,  from  which 
exterior  Liberty  is  regarded  as  a  Servant.  Thefe 
Confiderations  are  adduced,  in  Order  to  confirm 
the  Pofition,  that  for  a  Man  to  force  himfelf  is  not 
contrary  to  Rationality  and  Liberty* 

149.  One. Reafon  why  Man  doth  not  in  like 
Manner  defire  to  come  out  of  fpiritual  Servitude^ 
into  fpiritual  Liberty,  is,  that  he  doth  not  know 
what  fpiritual  Servitude  is,  and  what  fpiritual  Lib- 
erty is  ;  he  hath  not  the  Truths  which  teach  it,  and 
without  Truths  it  is  thought  that  fpiritual  Servitude 
is  Liberty,  and  fpiritual  Liberty  Servitude.  Anoth- 
er Reafon  is,  becaufe  the  Religion  of  the  Chrifiian 
World  hath  fhut  up  the  Underftanding,  and  Soli- 
fidianifm  (the  Dodrine  of  Faith  alone)  hath  fealed 
it,,  for  they  have  both  placed  about  themfelves,  like 
an  Iron  Wall,  this  Tenet,  that  Theological  1  hings 
tranfcend,  and  that  therefore  they  are  not  to  be  ap- 
proached from  any  Rationality,  and  that  they  are 
for  the  Blind  and  not  for  thofe  who  fee  ;  by  this 
the  Truths  have  been  hid,  which  would  teach  what 
fpiritual  Liberty  is.  A  third  Realon  is,  becaufe 
fevv'  examine  themfelves,  and  fee  their  Sins,  and  he 
who  doth  not  fee  them,  and  defift  from  them,  is  in 
the  Liberty  of  them,  wliich  is  infernal  Liberty,  in 
itfelf  Servitude,  and  from  this  to  fee  celeftlal  Liber- 
ty,  which  is  Liberty  itfelf,  is  like  feeing  Light  from 
Darknefs,  and  feeing  under  a  black  Cloud  that 
•which  is  above  it  from  the  Sun.  Hence  it  is,  that 
it  is  not  known  what  celeftial  Liberty  is,  and  that 
•Uie  Difference  between  this  and  infernal  Liberty  is 

like 


The  Divine  Providence.         203 

^ke  the  Difference  between  what  is  alive  and  what 
is  dead. 

150.  VI.  That  the  external  Man  is  to  be  reformed 
by  the  internal^  and  jiot  vice  verfa*  By  the  internal 
and  the  external  Man  the  fame  is  meant  as  by  the 
internal  and  the  external  Principle  of  Thought, 
which  have  often  been  treated  of  before  :  The 
Reafon  why  the  external  is  reformed  by  the  inter- 
nal, is,  becaufe  the  internal  fioweth  into  the  exter- 
nal, and  not  vice  verfa  :  That  there  is  a  fpiritual 
Influx  into  natural,  and  not  vice  verfa^  is  known  in 
the  learned  World  :  And  that  the  internal  Man  is 
firfl:  to  be  purified  and  renewed.;,  and  thereby  the 
externa],  is  known  in  the  Church  ;  the  Reafon 
why  it  is  known,  is,  becaufe  the  Lord  and  Reafon 
dictate  it;  the  Lord  teacheth  it  in  thefe  Words,  "  Wo 
unto  you^  Hypocrites^  fcr  ye  make  clean  the  Oiifftdc  of 
the  Cup  and  of  the  Platter^  but  ivithin  they  are  full 
of  Extortion  and  Excefs  :  Thou  blind  Fharifee,  cleanfe 
jirjl  the  Infide  of  the  Cup  and  Flatter^  that  the  Outjlde 
of  them  may  be  clean  alfoj*  Matt,  xxiii.  25,  16  :  That 
Reafon  dictates  it,  is  fliewn  abundantly  in  the  Trea- 
tife  on  The  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wis- 
dom :  For  what  the  Lord  teacheth,  he  giveth  alfo 
to  Man  to  perceive  by  Reafon  ;  and  this,  two  Ways, 
one  in  that. he  feeth  in  himfelf  that  a  Thing  is  ^o^ 
as  foon  as  he  heareth  it  ;  the  other,  in  that  he  un- 
derflandeth  it  by  Reafons  ;  to  fee  in  himfelf  is  in 
his  internal  Man,  and  to  underftand  by  Reafons  is 
in  his  external  Man  :  Who  doth  not  fee  in  himfelf 
this  Truth,  when  he  hears  it  declared,  that  the  inter- 
nal Man  is  firft  to  be  purified,  and  thereby  the  ex- 
ternal ?  But  he  who  doth  not  receive  a  general  Idea 

of 


^o4    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

of  this  by  InHux  fioin  Heaveir,  may  be  led  into  a 
Miitake  when  he  coniults  the  external  Principle  of 
his  Thought  ;  for  from  this  external  Principle  no 
one  feeth  otheiwiie,  than  that  external  Works, 
which  are  of  Caarity  and  Piety,  are  faving  without 
internal  Principles  ;  and  fo  in  other  Cafes,  as  that 
Sight  and  Hea,ring  flow  into  Thought,  and  Smell 
and  Talie  into  Perception,  and  thus  that  what  is  ex- 
ternal flows  into  what  is  internal,  when  neverthelefa 
it  is  the  dired  contrary  ;  that  Things  feen  and  heard 
appear  to  flow  into  the  Thought,  is  a  Fallacy,  for  the 
tJnderitanding  feeth  in  the  Eye  and  heareth  in  the 
Ear,  and  not  vUe  verfa  ;  So  in  other  Cafes. 

151.  But  here  it  may  be  expedient  to  obferve 
briefly,  how  the  internal  Man  is  reformed,  and 
thereby  the  external  3  The  internal  Man  is  not  re-^ 
formed  by  knowing,  underftanding,  and  being  wife 
alone  ;  confequently  not  by  thinking  alone  ;  but 
by  willing  that  which  Knowledge,  Intelligence,  and 
Wiidom  teach eth  ;  when  Man  knows,  underllands, 
and  hath  Wifdom  to  fee,  that  there  are  fuch  Places 
as  Heaven  and  Hell,  and  that  all  Evil  is  from  Hell, 
and  all  Good  from  Heaven,  if  then  he  willeth  not 
Evil  becaufe  it  is  from  Hell,  but  wiL^th  Good  be* 
Cciufe  :t  is  from  Heaven,  in  this  Cafe  he  is  in  the 
fird  Step  of  Reformation,  and  in  the  Entrance  out 
of  Hell  into  Heaven  ;  when  Man  advanceth  farther, 
and  wilieth  to  defifl  from  Evils,  he  is  in  the  fecond 
Step  of  Refonnation,  and  then  he  is  out  of  Hellj 
but  xiOii  yet  in  Heaven,  which  he  feeth  above  him  1 
Ihere  mull:  be  this  Internal,  in  Order  that  Man 
may  be  reformed  ;  but  unlefs  both,  as  well  the  Ex- 
ternal ab  the  Internal  be  reformed,  then  Man  is  not 

reformed  -^ 


The  Divine  Providence.         ^oj 

reformed  ;  the  External  is  reformed  by  the  Internal, 
when  the  External  defifts  from  the  Evils,  which  the 
Internal  vvilleth  not,  becaufe  they  are  infernal,  and 
more  fo  when  he  therefore  lliunneth  them,  and 
fighteth  againft  them  ;  thus  the  Internal  is  to  will, 
and  the  Exte'rnal  is  to  do,  for  unlefs  a  Perfon  doeth 
that  which  he  wilkth,  within  there  is  a  Principle 
which  willeth  it  not,  and  at  length  he  cometh  not 
to  will  it.  From  thefe  few  Confiderations  it  may 
be  fcen,  how  the  external  Man  is  reformed  by  the 
internal  :  This  alfo  is  what  is  meant  by  the  Lord's 
Words  to  Peter,  "  Jefus  faid^  If  I  wajh  thee  notj 
ihou  haft  no  Part  with  Me  ;  Peter  faith  imto  hhiiy 
hordy  not  my  Feet  only,  but  afo  viy  Hands  and  my 
Hi: ad :  yefus  faith  to  him^  Pic  that  is  wafx'd^  need* 
£th  notj  but  that  his  Feet  be  wajhed,  and  is  clean 
every  whit^^  J^hn  xiii.  8,  9,  lo  :  By  Wafiiing  is 
here  meant  fpiritual  Wafhing,  which  is  purification 
from  Evils ;  by  wafhing  the  Head  and  Hands  is 
meant  to  purify  the  internal  Man,  and  by  wafiiing 
the  Feet  is  meant  to  purify  the  external ;  that  when 
the  internal  Man  is  purified,  the  external  is  to  be 
purified.,  is  meant  by  thefe  Words,  "  He  that  is 
wafhed,  needeth  only  that  his  Feet  be  waflied  ;'* 
that  all  Purification  from  Evils  is  from  the  Lord, 
\^  meant  by  thefe  Words,  "  If  I  wafli  thee  not,  thou 
i^aff  no  Part  with  Me."  That  Wafliing  among  the 
Jews  reprefented  Purification  from  Evils,  and  that 
this  is  fignified  by  Wafiiing  in  the  Word,  and  that 
by  wafiiing  the  Feet  is  fignified  the  Purification  of 
the  natural  or  external  Man,  is  abundantly  fliewii 
in  the  Arcana  Celestia. 

152.  Forafmuch 


^o6    Angelic  Wisdom  cokcerking 

152.  Forafmuch  as  Man  hath  an  Internal  and  an 
External,  and  both  are  to  be  reformed  in  Order 
that  the  Man  may  be  reformed,  and  forafmuch  as 
no  one  can  be  reformed,  except  he  explore  himfelf, 
fee,  and  acknowledge  his  Evils,  and  afterwards  de* 
fill  from  them,  it  follows,  that  not  only  the  Exter- 
nal is  to  be  explored,  but  alfo  the  Internal ;  if  the  Ex* 
ternal  only  is  explored,  Man  doth  not  fee  any  Thing 
but  v/hat  he  hath  or  hath  not  actually  committed,  as 
that  he  hath  not  committed  Murder,  nor  Adultery, 
nor  Theft,  nor  borne  falfe  Witnefs,  &c.  ;  thus  he 
explores  the  Evils  of  his  Body,  and  not  the  Evils  of 
his  Spirit,  and  yet  the  Evils  of  the  Spirit  are  to  be 
explored,  in  Order  that  any  one  may  be  reformed  ; 
for  Man  lives  a  Spirit  after  Death,  and  all  the  Evils 
•which  are  in  the  Spirit  remain,  and  the  Spirit  is  no 
other  wife  explored,  than  by  Man's  attending  to  his 
Thoughts,  efpecially  to  his  Intentions,  for  the  Inten- 
tions are  Thoughts  from  the  Will  ;  in  the  Will 
Evils  are  in  their  Origin  and  in  their  Root,  that  is, 
in  their  Concupifcences  and  in  their  Delights,  and 
unlefs  they  are  feen  and  acknowledged,  Man  is  itill 
in  Evils,  notwithflanding  he  may  not  have  commits 
ted  them  in  Externals  :  That  to  think  from  Inten- 
tion, is  to  will  and  to  do,  is  evident  from  the  Words 
of  the  Lord,  "  Whofoever  looketb  on  a  Woman ^  to  liijl 
after  her^  hath  committed  Adultery  with  her  aheady 
in  his  Hearty"  Matt.  v.  28  :  Such  is  the  Search  of 
the  internal  Man,  by  which  the  external  Man  is 
elfentially  explored. 

153.  I  have  often  wondered,  that  although  the 
whole  Chrillian  World  is  informed,  that  Evils  are 
to  be  Ihunned  as  Sins,  and  that  otherwife  they  are 

not 


The  Divine  Providence, 


207 


not  remitted,  and  that  if  Sins  r.re  not  remitted  there 
is  no  Salvation,  yet  neverthelefs  fcarce  one  in  a 
thoufand  knoweth  this  ,  this  was  inquired  into  in 
the  fpiritual  World,  and  it  was  found  to  be  fo  ;  for 
every  one  in  the  Chriftian  World  is  informed  here- 
of from  the  Players  read  before  thofe  who  receive 
the  Holy  Supper,  it  being  plainly  declared  therein  ; 
and  yet  when  they  are  afked  whether  they  know 
this,  they  anfvver  that  they  do  not  know  it,  and 
they  did  not  know  it ;  the  Reafon  is,  becaufe  they 
did  not  think  about  it,  and  moft  of  them  only 
thought  of  Faith,  and  of  Salvation  by  Faith  alone. 
And  I  have  alfo  wondered,  that  Faith  alone  fo  fhuts 
the  Eyes,  that  they  who  have  confirmed  themfelve^ 
in  it,  when  they  read  the  Word,  fee  Nothing  of 
what  is  there  faid  of  Love,  Charity,  and  Works  ; 
it  is  as  though  they  had  fmeared  over  all  Things  in 
the  Word  with  Faith,  as  he  who  fmears  a  Writing 
over  with  Paint,  whereby  not  any  Thing  which  is 
underneath  appears,  and  if  any  Thing  appears,  it  is 
abforbed  by  Faith,  and  faid  to  be  Faith, 


Thai 


!2o8    Angelic  Wisdom  .conceunino 

That  it  is  a  Law  of  the  Divine  Provi^ 
deuce,  that  Man  he  led.  and  taught  of 
the  Lord  out  of  Heaven^  by  the  Word, 
and  by  Dodrine  and  Preo.chings  from 
the  Word,  and  this  in  all  Appearance 


asf 


rora  nimidt. 


154.  "FN  Appearance  Man  is  led  and  taught  from 
^  himfelf,  but  in  Truth  he  is  \t^  and  taught 
of  th  .  Lord  cnly  :  They  v/ho  confirm  the  Appear- 
ance m  themfelves.  and  not  at  the  fame  Time  the 
Truth,  are  not  able  to  remove  Evils  as  Sins  from 
themfelves  ;  but  they  who  confirm  the  Appearance, 
and  at  the  fame  Time  the  Truth  in  themfelves,  are 
able  ;  for  Evils  as  SinS^  are  removed  in  Appearance 
by  Man,  and  in  Truth  by  the  Eord  ;  the  latter  Per- 
fons  can  be  reformed,  but  the  former  cannot.  They 
who  confirm  Appearance,  and  not  at  the  fame  Time 
Truth  in  themfelves,  are  all  interior  Idolators,  for 
they  are  V/orfliippers  of  Self  and  the  World  ;  if 
they  have  no  Religion,  they  become  Worlhippers 
of  Nature,  and  fo  Atheifts ;  but  if  they  have  any 
Religion,  they  become  Worfhippers  of  Men,  and  at^ 
the  fame  Time  of  Images  ;  thefe  are  they  who  are 
meant  in  the  firft  Commandment  of  the  Decalogue, 
who  worfhip  other  Gods ;  but  they  who  confirm  in 
themfelves  Appearance,  and  at  the  fame  Tim.e 
Truth,  become  Worfliippets  of  the  Lord,  for  the 
Lord  elevates  them  from  their  Proprium,  (own  prop- 
er Life)  which  is  principled  ia  Appearance,  and 

ieadeth 


Ths  Divine  Providence.         209 

leadeth  them  into  Light,  in  which  the  Truth  is,  and 
which  is  the  Truth,  and  giveth  them  to  perceive 
interiorly,  that  they  are  not  led  and  taught  of  them- 
felves,  but  of  the  Lord.  The  rational  (Faculty)  of 
both  thefe  may  appear  to  many  as  alike,  but  it  is 
diflimilar  ;  the  rational  Faculty  of  thofe  who  are 
principled  in  Appearance,  and  at  the  fame  Time  in 
the  Truth,  is  a  fpiritual  Rational ;  but  the  rational 
Faculty  of  thofe^  v/ho  are  principled  in  Appearance, 
and  not  at  the  fame  Time  in  the  Truth,  is  a  natural 
Rational ;  this  latter  rational  Faculty  may  be  com- 
pared to  a  Garden,  fuch  as  it  is  in  the  Light  of 
Winter  ;  whereas  the  fpiritual  rational  Faculty  may 
be  compared  to  a  Garden,  fuch  as  it  is  in  the  Light 
of  Spring.  But  of  this,  more  in  what  fallows,  in 
this  Order*  L  That  Man  is  led  and  taught  of  the 
Lord  only.  IL  That  Man  is  led  and  taught  of  the 
Lord  alone  through  the  Angelic  Heaven  and  out  of 
it.  IIL  That  Man  is  led  of  the  Lord  by  Influx,  and 
taught  by  Illumination^  IV.  That  Man  is  taught  of 
the  Lord  by  the  Word,  and  by  Dodrine  and  Preach- 
ings from  the  Word,  therefore  immediately  by  Him 
alone.  V.  That  Man  is  led  and  tatio^ht  of  the  Lord 
in  Externals  to  all  Appearance  as  of  himfelf. 

155.  I.  Thai  Man  is  led  a?id  taught  of  the  Lord 
only :  This  flows,  as  an  univerfal  Confequence, 
from  all  that  w^as  fhewn  in  the  Treatife  concerning 
The  Divine  Love  a^;d  thk  Divine  Wisdom  j 
as  well  from  what  is  there  demonltrated  concerning 
the  Divine  Love  of  the  Lord  and  his  Divine  Wif- 
dom  in  Part  the  Firft ;  as  concerning  the  Sun  of 
the  fpiritual  World,  and  the  Sun  of  the  natural 
World,  in  Part  the  Second  ^  alio  concerning  De- 
C  c  grees 


2IO     Angelic  "Wisdom  concerning 

grees  In  Part  the  Third  ;  and  concerning  the  Crea^ 
tion  of  the  Univerfe,  in  Part  the  Fourth  ;  as  alfo, 
concerning  the  Creation  of  Man,  in  Part  the  Fifth. 

156.  Ihe  Reafon  why  Man  is  led  and  taught  of 
the  Lord  only,  is,  becaufe  he  liveth  from  the  Lord 
only,  for  the  Will  of  his  Life  is  led,  and  the  Under- 
flanding  of  his  Life  is  taught :  This,  however,  is 
contrary  to  Appearance,  for  it  appears  to  Man  as 
if  he  lived  from  himfelf,  and  yet  the  Truth  is,  that 
he  liveth  from  the  Lord,  and  not  from  himfelf  1 
Now  forafmuch  as  there  cannot  be  given  to  Man, 
fo  long  as  he  is  in  the  World,  a  Perception  of  Sen- 
fation  that  he  hveth  from  the  Lord  only,  becaufe  the 
-Appearance  that  he  liveth  from  himfelf  is  not  tak- 
en away  from  him  (for  without  it  Man  is  not  Man} 
therefore  this  mull  be  evinced  by  Reafons,  which 
mull  afterwards  be  confirmed  by  Experience,  and 
laiUy  by  the  Word. 

157.  That  Man  liveth  from  the  Lord  only,  and 
not  from  himfelf,  niay  be  evinced  by  thefe  Reafons ; 
that  there  is  one  only  EiTence,  one  only  Subllance, 
and  one  only  Form,  from  which  are  all  the  Eflences^ 
Subflances,  and  Forms,  Which  are  created :  That 
one  only  jL&ncey  Subflance,  and  Form,  is  the  Di- 
vine Love  and  the  Divine  Wifdom,  from  Vvhich  are 
all  Things,  which  have  Relation  to  Love  and  Wif- 
dom in  Man  :  That  moreover  it  is  Good  itfelf  and 
Truth  itfelf,  to  which   all  Thin^rs  have  Relation  : 

o 

And  that  this  is  Life,  from  which  is  the  Life  of  All, 
and  all  Things  of  Life  :  Alfo  that  the  Self-fubfifting 
and  Sole-fubfiiling  Principle  (Unicinn  et  Jpfian)  is 
Omniprefent,  Omnifcient,  and  Omnipotent,  iyvidi 
that  this  Self-fubfifling  and  Sole-fubfifling  Principle 

is 


The  Divine  Providence.         2 it 

k  the  Lord  from  Eternity,  or  Jehovah.  First, 
That  there  is  one  only  Epncc^  one  only  Subjiancc^  and 
one  only  Forin^  from  which  all  the  Effcnccs^  Subflanccs^ 
<ind  Forms ^  which  were  created^  are  ;  it  was  (hewn  in 
the  Treatife  on  Tpie  Divine  Love  and  tue  Di- 
vine Wisdom,  n.  44  to  46,  and  in  Part  the  Second 
of  the  fame  Treatife,  that  the  Sun  of  the  Angelic 
Heaven,  which  is  from  the  Lord,  and  in  which  the 
Lord  is,  is  that  Sole  or  Only  Subilance  and  Form, 
from  which  all  Things  are  created,  and  that  Noth- 
ing does  exift,  or  can  exiH,  which  is  not  from  ir: 
That  all  Things  are  from  it  by  Derivations  accord- 
ing to  Degrees,  is  Ihewn  there  in  Part  the  Third. 
Wlio  doth  not  perceive  and  acknowledge  from 
Reafon,  that  there  is  one.fole  Eifence  from  which 
all  Eilence  is,  or  one  fole  FJfc  from  which  all  Ejfj's 
is  ?  What  can  exiil  without  an  ElTe,  [a  Being]  and 
what  is  that  EiTe  from  which  all  EiTe  is,  but  EiTe  It- 
felf,  and  that  which  is  EiTe  itfelf,  is  alfo  the  Sole  Ef- 
fe,  and  in  itfelf  EfTe:  This  being  the  Cafe,  and  ev- 
ery one  perceiving  and  acknovv^ledging  this  from 
Reafon,  or  at  leall,  being  capable  of  perceiving  and 
acknowledging  it,  what  elfe  then  follows,  than  that 
this  ElTe,  which  is  the  Divine  itfelf,  which  is  Jeho- 
vah, is  All  in  all  Things  which  are  and  exift  ?  It  is 
the  lame  Thing  if  it  be  faid,  that  there  is  one  fole 
Subftance,  from  which  all  Things  are ;  and  foraf- 
much  as  a  Subftance  without  a  Form  is  not  any 
Thing,  it  follows  alfo,  that  there  is  one  fole  Form, 
from  which  all  Things  are.  That  the  Sun  of  the 
Angelic  Heaven  is  that  fole  Subftance  and  Form  ; 
alfo  how  that  Effence,  Subftance,  and  Form,  is  va- 
ried  in   Things  created,    is    demonftrated  in  the 

above-mentioned 


212     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

above-mentioned  Treatife.  Secondly,  That  thai 
one  only  Effence^  Siihjiance^  and'Form^  is  the  Divine 
Love  and  the  Divine  Wifdom  ;  from  which  all  Things 
dre^  ivhich  have  Relation  to  Love  and  Wifdom  in  Man^ 
is  alio  fully  ihewn  in  the  Treatire  on  The  Divine 
Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom  ;  Whatfoever 
Things  in  Man  appear  to  live,  have  Relation  to  the 
Will  and  the  Uiideritanding  in  him  ;  and  that  thefe 
two  Principles  conflitute  his  Life,  every  one  from 
Reafon  perceives  and  acknowledges  ;  why  elfe  is  it 
io  conftantly  faid,  I  will  this  or  I  underlland  this,  or 
I  love  this  or  I  think  this  ?  And  whereas  Man  wilL 
eth  what  he  loveth,  and  thinketh  what  he  under, 
llandeth,  therefore  all  Things  of  the  Will  have  Re- 
lation to  Love,  and  all  Things  of  the  Underftand-, 
ing  to  Wifdom :  And  forafmuch  as  thefe  two  Prin^ 
ciples  cannot  exifl  in  any  one  from  himfelf,  but  from 
Him  who  is  Love  itfelf  and  \¥ifdom  itfelf,  it  follows, 
that  it  is  from  th»  Lord  from  Eternity  or  Jehovah ; 
if  this  were  not  the  Origin  of  thofe  Principles,  Man 
would  be  Love  itfelf  and  Wifdom  itfelf,  therefore 
God  from  Eternity,  at  which  human  Reafon  itfelf 
is  flruck  with  Elorror.  Can  any  Thing  exift  but 
from  what  is  prior  to  itfelf,  and  can  this  Prior  exifl 
but  from  what  is  flill  prior  to  it,  and  thus  finally 
from  the  Firft,  which  is  in  itfelf?  Thirdly:  /;; 
like  Manner^  that  it  is  Good  itfelf  and  Truth  itfelf  to 
which  all  Things  have  Relation,  It  is  received  and 
acknowledged  by  every  one  who  hath  Reafon,  that 
God  is  Good  itfelf  and  Truth  itfelf,  alfo  that  every 
Thing  good  and  true  is  from  Him ;  therefore  alfo 
that  what  is  good  and  true  cannot  come  from  any 
Other  Source  than  from  Good  or  Goodnefs  an4 

Truth 


The  Divinje  Providence.         213 

Truth  itfelf ;  thefe  Things  are  acknowledged  by  ev- 
ery rational  Man  as  foon  as  they  are  heard  :  When 
it  is  next  faid,  that  all  of  the  Will  and  Underftand- 
ing,  or  all  of  Love  and  tVifdom,  or  all  of  Affection 
?ind  Thought,  with  the  Man  who  is  led  of  the  Lord, 
hath  Relation  to  Good  and  Truth,  it  follows,  that 
all  which  fuch  Man  willeth  and  underllandeth,  or 
which  he  loveth  and  is  wife  in,  or  by  wjiich  he  is 
affedled  and  which  he  thinketh,  is  from  the  Lord: 
Hence  it  is,  that  every  one  in  the  Church  knoweth, 
that  every  Thing  good  and  every  Thing  true  from 
Man  in  itfelf  is  not  good  and  true,  but  only  that 
which  is  from  the  Lord.  Forafmuch  as  this  is  a 
Truth,  it  follows,  that  all  that  which  fuch  a  Man 
willeth  and  thinketh,  is  from  the  Lord.  That  neither 
can  any  wicked  Man  will  and  think  from  any  other 
Origin,  will  be  feen  in  what  follows.  Fourthly, 
That  ihofe  Principles  are  Life ^  from  which  is  the  Life 
cf  All^  and  all  Things  of  Life ^  is  abundantly  fhewn  in 
the  Treatife  on  The  Divine  Love  and  the  Di- 
vine Wisdom.  Human  Reafon  alio,  at  the  nrfl 
Hearing,  receives  and  acknowledges,  that  all  the 
Life  of  Man  is  of  his  Will  and  Under  (landing,  for 
if  the  Will  arid  Underflanding  be  taken  away,  he 
doth  not  live  ;  or,  what  is  the  fame,  that  all  ihe  Life 
of  Man  is  of  his  Love  and  his  Thought,  for  if  Love 
jmd  Thought  be  taken  away,  he  doth  not  live  :  Now 
forafmuch  as  the  All  of  the  Will  and  Underflanding, 
or  the  All  of  Love  and  Thought  in  Man  is  from  the 
Lord,  as  was  faid  above,  it  follows,  that  the  All  of 
Life  is  from  Him.  Fifthly,  That  this  Selffiibftfl' 
■-\}ig  and  Solefubftfiing  Principle  is  0?nniprefenty  Ojnni- 
Jcienty  and  Omnipotent ;  this  alfo  every  Chriflian  ac- 
knowledges 


214    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

knowledges  from  his  Doclrine,  and  every  Gentile 
from  his  Religion  ;  hence  alfo,  every  one,  in  whaU 
foever  Place  he  is,  thinks  that  God  is  where  he  is, 
and  prays  to  God  as  prefent ;  and  fmce  every  one  fo 
ihinketh,  and  fo  prayeth,  it  follows,  that  they  cannot 
think  otherwife  than  that  God  is  every  where,  there- 
fore Omniprefent :  In  hke  Manner  that  he  is  Omnip- 
otent and  Omnifcient ;  wherefore  every  one  praying 
to  God  implores  from  his  Heart,  that  He  would  lead 
him,  becaufe  He  is  able  to  do  fo  :  Thus  every  one  ac- 
knowledges at  fuch  Time  the  Divine  Omniprefence, 
Omnifcience,  and  Omnipotence;  he acknowiedgeth, 
becaufe  he  then  turns  his  Face  to  the  Lord,  and  then 
from  Him  fioweth  that  Truth.  Sixthly,  That 
this  Self'fubfi/iing  and  Sole-fuhfijling  Principle  is  the 
Lord  from  Eternity^  or  Jehovah .-  In  The  Doc- 
trine OF  THE  New  Jerusalem  concerinng 
THE  Lord,  it  is  fnewn,  that  God  is  One  in  EfTencc 
and  Perfon,  and  that  that  God  is  the  Lord,  and 
that  the  Divine  [Principle]  itfelf,  which  is  called 
Jehovah  the  Father,  is  the  Lord  from  Eternity,  and 
that  the  Human  Divine  [Principle]  is  the  Son  con- 
ceived by  his  Divine  from  Eterniry,  and  born  in  the 
World  ;  and  that  the  Proceeding  Divine  [Principle] 
is  the  Holy  Ghofl.  It  is  faid  Self- iubfi  (ting  {Jpfuni\ 
and  Sole-lubfifUng,  becaufe  it  was  faid  before,  that 
the  Lord  from  Eternity  or  Jehovah  is  Self-fubfiding 
Life,  (Life  itfelf)  as  being  Love  itfelf  and  Wifdora 
itfelf,  or  Goodnefs  itfelf  and  Truth  itfelf,  from  which 
all  Things  are.  I'hat  the  Lord  out  of  Himfelf  cre- 
ated all  Things,  and  not  out  of  Nothing,  may  be 
{o^zxi  in  the  Treatife  on  The  Divine  Love  and 
THE  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  2S2  to  284,  n.  349  to 

357- 


The  Divine  Providence.         215 

357.  By  the  above  Confiderations,  this  Truth, 
that  Man  is  led  and  taught  of  the  Lord  alone,  is  con- 
firmed by  Reafons. 

158.  This  fame  Truth  is  confirmed,  not  only  by 
Reafons,  but  alfo  by  living  Perceptions  among  the 
Angels,  efpecially  the  Angels  of  the  Third  Heav- 
en ;  thefe  perceive  the  Influx  of  Divine  Love  and 
Divine  Wifdom  from  the  Lord  ;  and  inafmuch 
as  they  perceiv^e  it,  and  from  their  Wifdom  knov^r 
that  thefe  Principles  are  Life,  therefore  they  fay 
that  they  Kve  from  the  Lord,  and  not  from  them- 
felves  ;  and  this  they  not  only  fay,  but  alfo  love  and 
defire  that  it  may  be  fo  :  Neverthelefs  they  are  flill  in 
all  Appearance,  as  if  they  lived  from  themfelves,  yea 
in  a  ftronger  Appearance  than  other  Angels,  for,  as 
was  fhevi'n  above,  n.  42  to  45,  in  Proportion  as  any 
one  is  more  nearly  conjoined  to  the  Lcrd^  in  the  fame  Fro- 
portion  he  appcarcth  to  himfclf  more  dijiindly  to  be  his 
own^  and  perceiveih  more  evidently  that  he  is  the 
Lord's,  It  had|.been  given  me  alfo  to  be  in  a  fimi- 
lar  Perception  and  Appearance,  now  for  many 
Years,  from  which  I  am  fully  convinced,  that  1 
neither  will  nor  think  any  Thing  from  myfelf,  but 
that  it  appears  as  from  myfelf;  and  it  is  alfo  given 
to  defire  and  love  this.  The  fame  may  be  confirm- 
ed by  many  other  Confiderations  from  the  fpiritual 
World,  but  thefe  two  may  fufHce  for  the  Time. 

159.  That  the  Lord  alone  hath  Life,  is  evident 
from  thefe  Paflages  in  the  W^ord,  ''  /  a?n  the  Refur- 
reBion  and  the  Life  ;  he  that  believeth  in  Me^  though 
he  were  dcad^  yet  f) all  he  live^*  John  xi.  25.  "  I  am 
the  Way^  and  the  Truths  and  the  Life^**  John  xiv.  6. 
"  God  ivas  the  Word^  in  Hint  zvas  Life^  and  the  Life 

was 


2x6    Angelic  Wisdom  coNCEUNiNa 

ivas  the  Light  of  Men,'*  John  i.  i,  and  4.  Thd 
Word  tliere  is  the  Lord.  "  ^s  the  Father  hath  Lifi 
in  Himfelf,  fo  he  hath  given  to  the  Son  to  hare  Life  in 
Hi?} f elf,''  John  v.  26.  That  Man  is  led  and  taught 
of  the  Lord  only,  is  evident  from  thefe  PalTages^ 
*'  Elthctit  Me  ye  can  do  Nothing^*  John  xv.  5. 
*^  Man  cannot  take  any  Thing,  unlefs  it  be  given  him 
from  Heaven^'  John  ill.  27.  "  Man  cannot  make  07ie 
Hair  ivhite  or  black,''  Matt.  ^*  2)^  ',  by  a  Hair  in 
the  Word  is  fignified  the  leafl:  of  all  Things. 

160.  That  the  Life  of  the  wicked  is  from  the  fame 
Origin,  will  be  demonflrated  hereafter  in  its  proper 
Article  ;  we  fhall  here  only  illuftrate  it  by  Compari- 
fon ;  from  the  Sun  of  the  World  flows  Heat  and 
Light,  and  enters  by  Influx  as  well  into  Trees  which 
bear  evil  Fruit,  as  into  Trees  which  bear  good  Fruit, 
and  they  vegetate  and  grow  alike  ;  the  Forms,  into 
which  the  Heat  enters  by  Influx,  caufe  that  Differ- 
ence, but  not  the  Heat  in  itfelf.  It  is  the  fame  with 
Light,  this  is  variegated  in  Colours  ^cording  to  the 
Forms,  into  which  it  enters  by  Innux  ;  there  are 
.beautiful  and  lively  Colours,  and  there  are  ugly  and 
dull  Colours,  but  flill  the  Light  is  the  fame.  It  is 
the  fame  with  the  Influx  of  fpiritual  Heat  which  in 
itfelf  is  Love,  and  of  fpiritual  Light  which  in  itfelf  is 
Wifdom,  from  the  Sun  of  the  fpiritual  World  ;  the 
Forms,  into  which  they  enter  by  Influx,  make  the 
Difference,  but  not  that  Heat  which  is  Love,  and 
that  Light  which  is  Wifdom,  in  itfelf:  The  Forms 
into  which  they  flow,  are  human  Minds.  From 
thefe  Confiderations  then  it  is  evident,  that  Man  is 
led  and  taught  of  the  Lord  alone. 

i5i.  But 


The  Divine  Providence.         217 

161.  But  what  the  Life  of  Animals  is,  was  (Iiewn 
above,  namely,  that  it  is  a  Life  of  AlFedlion  merely- 
natural  with  its  concomitant  Science  ;  and  that  it  is 
a  mediate  Life  correfponding  to  the  Life  of  thofe 
which  are  in  the  fpiritual  World. 

162.  IL  That  Man  is  led  and  taught  of  the  Lord 
alone ^  through  the  Angelic  Heaven  and  out  of  it ;  it  is 
faid  that  Man  is  led  of  the  Lord  through  the  Angelic 
Heaven,  and  out  of  it ;  but  that  it  ib  through  the  An- 
gelic Heaven,  is  from  Appearance,  whereas  that  it  is 
out  of  it,  is  from  the  Truth  :  The  Reafon  why  there 
is  an  Appearance  that  it  is  through  the  Angelic  Fleav- 
en,  is,  becaufe  the  Lord  appeareth  above  that  Heaven 
as  the  Sun  :  The  Reafon  why  it  is  the  Truth,  that 
it  is  out  of  that  Heaven,  is  becaufe  the  Lord  in  that 
Heaven  is  as  the  Soul  in  a  Man ;  for  the  Lord  is 
Omniprefent,  and  is  not  in  Space,  as  w^as  fhewn  be- 
fore, wherefore  Diftance  is  an  Appearance  accord- 
ing to  Conjundion  with  Him,  and  Conjundion  is 
according  to  the  Reception  6f  Love  and  Wifdom 
from  Him :  And  forafmuch  as  no  one  can  be  con- 
joined to  the  Lord,  as  he  is  in  Himfelf,  therefore  he 
appeareth  to  the  Angels  at  a  Diftance  as  a  Sun : 
Neverthejefs  He  is  in  the  univerfal  Angelic  Heaven, 
like  the  Soul  in  a  Man  ;  and  in  like  Manner  in  eve- 
ry Society  of  Heaven,  and  in  like  Manner  in  every 
Angel  there  ;  for  th-.^  Soul  of  a  Man  is  net  only  the 
Soul  of  the  Whole,  but  alfo  of  each  Part.  But 
whereas  it  is  from  Appearance  that  the  Lord  ruleth 
the  univerfal  Heaven,  and  through  it  the  World 
from  the  Sun  which  is  from  Him,  and  in  which  He 
is,  concerning  which  Sun  fee  the  Treatife  on  The 
DivrwE  Lov£  AND  THE  DiviNE  WisDOM,  Part 

D  D  the 


2i8    Akgelic  Wisdom  concerning 

the  Second ;  and  whereas  it  Is  allowable  for  any 
Man  to  fpeak  from  Appearance,  neither  can  he  do 
otherwife,  therefore  it  is  allowable  for  any  one,  who 
is  not  principled  in  Wifdom  itfelf,  to  think,  that  the 
Lord  ruleth  all  and  every  Thing  out  of  his  Sun,  and 
alfo  that  he  ruleth  the  World  through  the  Angelic 
Heaven  ;  from  fuch  Appearance  alfo  the  Angels  of 
the  inferior  Heavens  think  j  but  the  Angels  of  the 
fuperior  Heavens  do  indeed  fpeak  from  Appearance, 
but  they  think  from  the  Truth,  which  is  that  the 
Lord  ruleth  the  Univerfe  out  of  the  Angelic  Heav- 
en, which  is  out  of  Himfelf.  That  the  Simple  and 
the  Wife  fpeak  alike,  but  do  not  think  alike,  may  be- 
illuftrated  from  the  Sun  of  the  World  ;  of  this  Sun 
all  Men  fpeak  from  Appearance,  as  that  it  rifes  and 
fets,  but  the  Wife,  although  they  fpeak  in  like  Man- 
ner, ftill  think  that  it  (lands  immoveable,  which  alfa 
is  the  Truth,  and  the  other  Way  of  conceiving  it  is 
an  Appearance.  The  fame  may  alfo  be  illudrated 
from  Appearances  in  the  fpiritual  World,  for  in  that 
World  there  appear  Spaces-  and  Diftances  as  in  the 
natural  World,  but  flill  they  are  Appearances  ac- 
cording to  the  Dillimilitude  of  Affeftions  and  of 
Thoughts  thence  derived.  It  is  the  fame  with  the 
Appearance  of  the  Lord  in  his  Sun. 

163.  But  how  the  Lord  leadeth  and  teachetii 
every  Man  out  of  the  Angelic  Heaven,  fhall  briefly 
be  explained  j  In  the  Treatife  on  The  Divine 
LoVe  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,  and  above  in 
this  Treatife  on  The  Divine  Providence  ;  alfo 
in  the  Work  on  Heaven  and  Hell,  publilhed  in 
London  in  the  Year  1758,  from  Things  feen  and 
heard  it  is  made  known,  that  the  univerfal  Angelic 

Heaven 


The  Divine  Providence.         219 

Heaven  appears  before  the  Lord  as  one  Man,  and 
m  like  Manner  each  Society  in  Heaven,  and  that 
thence  it  is,  that  each  particular  Angel  and  Spirit  is 
in  a  perfed  human  Form  ;  and  moreover  in  the 
abovenamed  Treatifes  it  is  fhewn,  that  Heaven  is 
not  Heaven  from  the  Propriuni  {]own  proper  LifeJ 
of  the  Angels,  but  from  the  Reception  of  Divine 
Love  and  Divine  Wifdom  from  the  Lord  by  the 
Angels .  Hence  it  may  appear,  that  the  Lord  ruleth 
the  univerfal  Angelic  Heaven  as  one  Man  5  and  that 
that  Heaven,  inafmuch  as  it  is  a  Man,  is  the  very 
Image  and  Lilcenefs  of  the  Lord  ;  and  that  the 
Lord  Himfelf  ruleth  that  Heaven,  as  the  Soul 
ruleth  its  Body.  And  forafmuch  as  the  univerfal 
human  Race  is  ruled  by  the  Lord,  that  it  is  not 
ruled  through  Heaven,  but  out  of  Heaven  by  the 
Lord,  confequently  out  of  Himfelf,  beeaufe  He 
f limfelf  is  Heaven,  as  was  faid. 

164.  But  forafmuch  as  this  is  an  Arcanum  of 
Angelic  Wifdom,  it  cannot  be  comprehended  by  a 
Man,  except  he  be  oae  whofe  fpiritual  Mind  is 
opened,  for  fuch  a  Man,  by  Virtue  of  Conjundion 
with  the  Lord,  is  an  Angel  ;  and  by  fuch  an  one, 
from  what  hath  been  premifed,  the  following  Par- 
ticulars may  be  comprehended,  i.  That  all,  as 
well  Men  as  Angels,  are  in  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord 
in  them,  according  to  Conjuncdon  with  Him.  2. 
That  every  one  of  thefe  hath  his  Place  appointed  in 
tho  Lord,  therefore  in  Heaven,  according  to  the 
Quality  of  Conjundion  ot  Reception  of  Him.  3. 
That  every  one  in  his  Place  hath  his  State  diftind: 
from  the  State  of  others  ;  and  that  from  the  com^ 
mon  (Body  or  Principle)  he  derivetli  his  Talk  ac« 

cording 


<l2o    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

cording  to  his  Situation,  his  Fun^lion,  and  his  Necef. 
fity,  altogether  Hke  any  particular  Part  or  Organ  in 
the  human  Body.      4.  That  every  Man  is  initiated 
into  his  Place  by  the  Lord  according  to  his  Life, 
c.  That  every  Man  from  Infancy  is  introduced  into 
that  Divine  Man,  whofe  Soul  and  Life  the  Lord  is, 
and  that  he  is  led  and  taught  out  of  his  Divine 
Love  according  to  his  Divine  Wifdom,  in  Him  and 
not  out  of  Him,     But  inafmuch  as  Liberty  is  not 
taken  away  from  Man,  that  Man  cannot  otherwife 
be  led  and  taught,  than  according  to  Reception  as 
if  from  himfelf.    6.  That  they  who  receive,  through 
infinite  Windings  and  Meanderings,  as  it  were,  are 
conduded  to  their  Places,  nearly  as  the  Chyle  is 
conveyed  through  the  Mefentery  and  ladeal  Veflels 
there  into  its  Receptacle,  and  from  thence  through 
the  Thoracic  Dud  into  the  Blood,  and  fo  into  its 
proper  Place.     7.  That  they  who  do  not  receive, 
are  feparated  iVoni  thofe  v/ho  are  within  the  Divine 
Man,  as  the  Excrement  and  Urine  are  fecreted  and 
feparated  by  Man.     Thefe  are  Arcana  of  Aiigelic 
Wifdom,  which  may  in  fome  Meafure  be  compre, 
bended  by  Man,  but  there  are  many  which  cannot, 
165.  III.   That  Man  is  led  cf  the  Lord  by  hifuXy 
and  taught  by  Illum'mation,     The  Reafon  why  Man 
is  led  of  the  Lord  by  Influx,  is,  becaufe  to  be  led, 
and  alfo  to  enter  by  Influx,  are  predicated  of  Love 
and  of  the  Will ;  and  the  Reafon  why  Man  is 
taught  of  the  Lord  by  Illumination,  is,  becaufe  to 
be  taught  and  to  be  illuminated  are  predicated  prop- 
erly of  Wifdom  and  of  the  Underilanding  :  That 
every  Man  is  led  from  his  own  Love  of  himfelf, 
;ind  ?iccording  to  it  by  Qthers,  and  not  from  thq 

Underftanding, 


The  Divine  Providenc5.         221 

ynderftandlng,  is  well  known  ;  he  is  led  by  the 
Underftanding  and  according  to  it,  only  when  the 
Love  or  the  Will  maketh  the  Underflanding ;  aM 
when  this  is  the  Cafe,  it  may  alfo  be  faid  of  the  Un- 
derflanding that  it  is  led,  but  yet  the  Underflanding 
in  this  Cafe  is  not  led,  but  the  Will  from  which  it 
is  derived.     It  is  called  Influx,  becaufe  it  is  a  cuf- 
tomary  Way  of  fpeaking  to  fay,  that  the  Soul  flows 
into  or  operates  by  Influx  upon  the  Body,  and  that 
Influx  is  fpiritual  and  not  phyfical,   and  the  Soul 
or  Life  of  Man  is  his  Love  or  Will,  as  was  fhewn 
above  ;    alfo  becaufe  Influx  is  comparatively  like 
the  Influx  of  the  Blood  into  the  Heart,  and  out 
of  the  Heart  into  the  Lungs  ;  that  there  is  a  Cor- 
refpondence  of  the  Heart  v/ith  the  Will,  and  of  the 
Lungs  with  the  Underflanding,  and  that  the  Con- 
jun^Stion  of  the  Will  with  the  Underflanding  is  like 
the  Influx  of  the  Blood  out  of  the  Heart  into  the 
Lungs,  is  fhewn  in  the  Treatife  on  The  Divine 
Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  371  to  432. 
166.    But  the  Reafon  why  Man  is  taught    by 
Illumination,  is,  becaufe  to  be  taught  and  alfo  to 
be  illuminated  are  predicated  of  the  Underflanding, 
for  the  Underflanding,  which  is  the  internal  Sight 
of  Man,  is  no  othervvife  illuminated  by  fpiritual 
Light,  than  as  the  Eye  or  external  Sight  of  Man  is 
by  natural  Light  ;    in  like  Manner  alfo  both  are 
taught,  but  the  internal  Sight,  which  is  of  the  Un- 
derflanding, by  fpiritual  Obje<Sls,  and  the  external 
Sight,  which  is  of  the  Eye,  by  natural   Objeds. 
There  is  fpiritual  Light  and  natural  Li.^ht,  both  as 
to  external  Appearance  alike,  but  as  to  internal  un- 
like, for  natural  Light  is  from  the  Sun  of  the  natu- 
ral 


%2%    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

ral  World,  and  thence  in  itfelf  is  void  of  Life, 
whereas  fpiritual  Light  is  from  the  Sun  of  the  fpir, 
itual  World,  and  thence  in  itfelf  is  living  ;  this  lafl 
illuminates  the  human  Underllanding,  and  not 
natural  Light  :  Natural  and  rational  Illumination 
\^Lu?neri]  is  not  from  the  latter  Light,  but  from  the 
former  ;  it  is  called  natural  and  rational  lllumina^ 
tion,  becaufe  it  is  fpiritual-natural  ;  for  there  are 
three  Degrees  of  Light  in  the  fpiritual  World, 
celeftial  Light,  fpiritual  Light,  and  fpirituaUnatural 
Light ;  celeftial  Light  is  a  ruddy  flaming  Light, 
this  Light  they  have  who  are  in  the  third  Heaven  ; 
fpiritual  Light  is  a  white  fliining  Light,  this  Light 
they  have  who  are  in  the  middle  Heaven  ;  and 
fpiritual-natural  Light  is  fuch  as  the  Light  of  Day 
is  in  our  World,  this  Light  they  have  who  are  in 
the  ultimate  Heaven,  and  alfo  they  who  are  in  the 
World  of  Spirits,  which  is  the  mi4dle  between 
Heaven  and  Hell  ;  but  this  Light,  in  the  latter 
World,  is  with  the  good  like  the  Light  of  Sum-, 
mer,  and  with  the  wicked  like  the  Light  of  Winter 
upon  Earth.  But  it  is  to  be  noted,  that  all  the 
Light  of  the  fpiritual  World  hath  Nothing  in  com- 
mon with  the  Light  of  the  natural  World  ;  they 
are  as  different  as  Life  and  Death.  From  which  it 
is  evident,  that  natural  Light,  fuch  as  we  have  be-r 
fore  our  Eyes,  doth  not  illuminate  the  Underftandi 
ing,  but  fpiritual  Light.  Man  is  ignorant  of  this, 
becaufe  heretofore  he  knew  Nothing  of  fpiritual 
Light.  That  fpiritual  Light  is  in  its  Origin  Divine 
Wifdom,  or  Divine  Truth,  is  fhewn  in  the  Work 
on  H^AViiN  AND  Hlli,,  n.  126  to  140. 

167.  Forafmuch 


The  Divine  Providence.         2:23 

167.    Forafmuch  as  the  Light  of  Heaven  hath' 
now  been  fpoken  of,  it  may  be  expedient  to  fay 
Something  alfo  of  the  Light  of  Hell :  Light  in  Hell 
is  alfo  of  three  Degrees  ;    the  Light  in  the  lowefh 
Hell  is  like  the  Light  of  burning  Coals  ;  the  Light 
in  the  middle  Hell  is  like  the  Light  from  the  Flame 
of  a  Wood  Fire  ;  and  the  Light  in  the  higheft  Hell 
is  like  the  Light  of  Candles,  and  to  fome  like  the 
Light  of  the  Moon  by  Night.     Neither  are  thefe 
Lights  natural,  but  they  are  fpiritual,  for  all  natural 
Light  is  dead,  and  extinguifheth  the  Underftanding, 
and  they  who  are  in  Hell,  have  the  Faculty  of  Un- 
derftanding,    which  is  called   Rationality,   as  was 
fhewTi  before,  and  Rationality  itfelf  is  from  fpiritual 
Light,  and  not  in  the  lead  from  natural  Light ;  and 
the  fpiritual  Light  which  they  have  from  Rationali- 
ty, is  turned  into  infernal  Light,  as  the  Light  of 
Day  into  the  Darknefs  of  Night.     But  yet  all  who 
are  in  the  fpiritual  "World,  as  well  they  in  the  Heav- 
ens, as  they  in  the  Hells,  fee  in  their  own  Light  as 
clearly  as  Man  doth  by  Day  in  his  ;  the  Reafon  is, 
becaufe  the  Eye  of  every  one  is  formed  for  the  Re- 
ception of  the  Light  in  which  he  is  ;  therefore  the 
Eyes  of  the  Angels  of  Heaven  for  the  Reception  of 
the  Light  in  which  they  are,  and  the  Eyes  of  the 
Spirits  of  Hell  for  the  Reception  of  their  Light  ; 
with  thefe  it  is  comparatively  as  with   Owls  and 
Bats,  which  fee  Objeds  as  clearly  in  the  Night  as 
other  Birds  fee  them  in  the  Day  ;  for  their  Eyes 
are  formed  for  the  Reception  of  their  own  Light. 
But  the  Difference  between  thefe  Lights  appears 
clearly  to  thofe  who  look  out  of  one  Light  into 
another  ;  as  when  an  Angel  of  Heaven  looks  into 

Hell^ 


224    Angelic  Wisdom  goncernino 

Hell,  he  fees  Nothing  but  mere  Darknefs  there  ; 
and  when  a  Spirit  of  Hell  looks  into  Heaven,  he 
fees  Nothing  but  Darknefs  there  ;  the  Reafon  is, 
becaufe  celeiliai  Wifdom  is  to  thofe  who  are  in  Hell 
as  Darknefs,  and  on  the  other  Hand  infernal  Infan- 
ity  is  to  thofe  who  are  in  Heaven  as  Darknefs* 
Hence  it  may  appear,  that  fuch  as  a  Man's  Under- 
flanding  is,  fuch  is  his  Light,  and  that  every  one 
Cometh  into  his  own  Light  after  Death,  for  he  doth 
not  fee  in  any  other  ;  and  in  the  fpiritual  World, 
where  all  are  fpiriiual  even  as  to  their  Bodies,  the 
Eyes  of  all  iire  formed  to  fee  from  their  own  Light ; 
the  Life's  Love  of  every  one  maketh  to  itfelf  an  Un- 
ilerflanding,  and  fo  alfo  a  Light ;  for  Love  is  as  the 
Fire  of  Life,  from  which  is  the  Light  of  Life. 

168.  Forafmuch/as  few  know  any  Thing  of  the 
Illumination,  in  which  the  Underflanding  of  Man 
is,  who  is  taught  of  the  Lord,  therefore  Something 
fnall  be  faid  of  it.  There  is  Illum.ination  from  the 
Lord  interior  and  exterior,  and  there  is  Illumina- 
tion from  Man  alfo  interior  and  exterior  :  Interior 
Illumination  from  the  Lord  is,  when  a  Man  at  firft 
hearing  perceiveth  whether  that  v/hich  is  faid  be 
true  or  not  true  ;  exterior  Illumination  is  derived 
thence  in  the  Thought :  Interior  Illumination  from 
Man  is  from  Confirmation  alone  ;  and  exterior 
Illumination  from  Man  is  from  Science  alone  ;  but 
to  fpeak  of  each  more  particularly.  A  rational 
Man  by  interior  Illumination  from  the  Lord  immedi* 
ately  perceiveth,  when  he  hears  Things  faid,  wheth- 
er they  are  true  or  not  true  ;  as  for  Example ;  when 
it  is  faid  that  Love  is  the  Life  of  Faith,  or  that 
Faith  liveth  from  Love  ;  a  Man  from  interior  Illu- 
mination 


The  Divine  Providence.         225 

mination  alfo   perceiveth  this,   that  whatfocver  a 
Man  loves  that  he  willeth,  and  what  he  willcth  that 
he  doeth,  and  confequently  that  to  love  is  to  do  : 
Alfo  he  perceives  this,  that  whatfoever  a  Man  believ- 
cth  from  Love,  that  alfo  hewilleth  and  doeth,  and  con- 
fequently,  that  to  have  Faith  is  alfo  to  do  \  likewife, 
that  an  impious  Man  cannot  have  the  Love  of  God, 
therefore  neither  the  Faith  of  God.     A  rational  Man 
alfo^from  interior  Illumination,  when  he  hears,  imme- 
diately perceiveth  the  following  Truths,  That  God  is 
one  :    That  he  is  Omniprefent  :   That  every  Good 
is  from  him  :  Alfo,  that  all  Things  have  Relation 
to    Goodnefs   and  Truth  ;    and    that  every  good 
Thing  is  from  Goodnefs  itfelf,   and  every  Thing 
true  from  Truth  itfelf.     Thefe,  and  other  fuch  like 
Truths,  Man  perceiveth  interiorly  in  himfelf,  when 
he  heareth  them  ;  the  Reafon  why  he  perceiveth^ 
is,  becaufe  he  hath  Rationality,  and  this  is  in  the 
Light  of  Heaven  which  illuminates.     Exterior  Jllii^ 
mination  is   Illumination  of  the  Thought    derived 
from  interior  Illumination^  and  the  Thought  is  {0 
far  in  llluminatjon  as  it  remaineth  in  the  Perception 
which  it  hath  from  interior  Illumination,  and  as  it 
hath  at  the  fame  Time  Knowledges  of  Things  true 
and  good,  for  from  thefe  it  fupplies  itfelf  with  Rea- 
fdns  for  Confirmation.     The  Thought,  by  Virtue 
of  this  exterior  Illumination,  feeth  a  Thing  on  bctli 
Sides,  on  one  Side  it  feeth  the  Realons  which  con- 
firm it,  on  the  other  Side  it  feeth  the  Appearances 
which  invalidate  it,  the  latter  it  difpelleth,  the  form- 
er it  colledleth.     But  interior  Illumination  froin  Man^ 
is  totally  different ;  a  Man,  by  Virtue  of  this  Illumi- 
nation, feeth  a  Thing  on  one  Side,  and  not  on  the 
E  fi  ,  other, 


226    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

other,  and  when  he  hath  confirmed  it,  he  feeth  it 
in  a  Light  fimilar,  as  to  Appearance,  to  the  Light 
treated  of  above,  but  it  is  the  Light  of  Winter  :  As 
for  Example ;  a  Judge,  who  in  Confequence  of 
Bribes,  and  for  the  Sake  of  Intereft,  judgeth  unjufl- 
ly,  after  he  hath  confirmed  his  Judgment  by  the 
Laws  and  by  Reafons,  doth  not  fee  any  Thing  but 
Juftice  in  his  Judgment ;  fome  fee  Injuftice,  but  be- 
caufe  they  do  not  defire  to  fee  it,  they  darken  and 
bUnd  themfelves,  and  fo  do  not  fee  it :  It  is  the  fame 
with  a  Judge,  who  pafleth  Judgment  under  the  In- 
fluence of  Friendfliip,  from  the  Defire  of  concilia- 
ting Favour,  and  from  the  Influence  of  Connexions. 
With  Perfons  of  fuch  a  Charader,  the  fame  Thing 
happens  in  Refped  to  whatever  they  receive  from 
the  Mouth  of  a  Man  of  Authority,  or  from  a  Man 
of  Reputation  or  Fame,  or  in  Refpect  to  whatever 
they  have  hatched  out  of  theiy  own  Self-derived 
Intelligence  :  They  are  blind  Reafoners,  for  their 
Sight  is  ground.ed  in  falfe  Principles,  which  they 
confirm,  and  what  is  Faife  clofeth  up  the  Sight, 
and  Truth  openeth  it.  Such  Perfons  do  not  fee 
any  Truth  from  the  Light  of  Truth,  nor  any  Thing 
juft  from*  the  Love  of  Juflice,  but  from  the  Light 
of  Confirmation,  which  is  infatuating  Light ;  they 
appear  in  the  fpiritual  World  like  Faces  without  a 
Head,  or  like  Faces  fimilar  to  human  Faces,  behind 
which  there  are  Heads  of  Wood,  and  they  are  call- 
ed.rational  Beads,  [^Pecudes']  becaufe  they  have  Ra- 
tionality in  their  Power.  But  exterior  Ilhmnnation 
from  Ma?i^  hath  Place  with  thofe  who  think  and 
fpeak  from  Science  alone  imprefled  upon  the  Mem- 
ory^ 


The  Divine  Providence.         227 

ory  ;  thefe  from  thenifelves  are  but  little  able  to 
confirm  any  Thing. 

169.  Such  are  the  Diiierences  of  Illumination 
and  thence  of  Perception  and  Thought  ;  there  is 
an  actual  Illumination  from  fpiritual  Light,  but  the 
Illumination  itfelf  from  that  Light  doth  not  appear 
to  any  one  in  the  natural  World,  becaufe. natural 
Light  hath  Nothing  in  common  with  fpiritual  Light : 
This  Illumhiation  hath  fometimes  appeared  to  me 
in  the  fpiritual  World,  being  feen  about  thofe  who 
were  in  Illumination  from  the  Lord,  as  Something 
luminous  about  the  Head,  like  a  ruddy  Light  of  the 
Colour  of  the  human  Face  [rutilans  Colore  Faciei 
humance.']  But  with  thofe  who  are  in  Illumination 
from  themfelves,  there  was  fuch  a  luminous  Ap- 
pearance  not  about  the  Head^  but  about  the  Mouth 
and  above  the  Chin. 

170.  Befides  thefe  Illuminations  there  is  alfo 
another  Illumination,  by  which  it  is  revealed  to 
Man,  in  what  Faith,  and  in  what  Intelligence  and 
Wifdom  he  is,  which  Revelation  is  fuch,  that  he 
himfelf  perceiveth  it  in  himfelf ;  he  is  admitted  into 
a  Society,  where  there  is  genuine  Faith,  and  where 
there  is  true  Intelligence  and  Wifdom,  and  there 
his  interior  RationaHty  is  opened,  from  which  he 
feeth  his  Faith,  and  his  Intelligence  and  Wifdom, 
of  what  Kind  they  are,  even  to  the  Acknowledg- 
ment thereof:  I  have  feen  fome  returning  from 
thence,  and  I  have  heard  them  confefs,  that  they 
had  had  no  Faith,  although  in  the  World  they 
thought  they  had  much,  and  in  an  eminent  Degree 
above  others  ;  in  like  Manner  they  confefled  refpe6l- 
ing  their  Intellig^enc^  and  Wifdom :  They  were  fome 

of 


228    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

of  thofe  who  were  principled  in  Faith  alone,  and 
in  no  Charity,  and  who  were  in  Self-derived  In- 
telligence. 

171.  IV.  That  Man  is  i aught  of  the  Lord  by  the 
Word^  and  by  Doctrine  and  Preachings  from  the  Wordy 
and  thus  immediately  from  Him  alone.  It  was  faid 
and  fhewn  above,  that  Man  is  led  and  taught  of 
the  Lord  alone,  and  this  out  of  Keaven,  and  not 
through  Heaven,  or  through  any  Angel  there  ; 
and  forafmuch  as  he  is  led  of  the  Lord  alone,  it 
follows,  that  he  is  led  immediately,  not  mpdiately  : 
But  how  this  is  done,  we  fhall  proceed  to  explain. 

172.  In  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem   CONCERNING     THE    SaCRED    ScRIPTURE, 

it  is  fhewn,  that  the  Lord  is  the  Word,  and  that  all 
Dodrine  of  the  Church  is  to  be  drawn  out  of  the 
Word ;  now  inafmuch  as  the  Lord  is  the  Word, 
it  follows,  that  the  Man  who  is  taught  out  of  the 
Word,  is  taught  of  the  Lord  alone.  But  becaufe 
this  is  difficult  to  be  comprehended,  it  may  be  expe- 
dient to  illuflrate  it  in  this  Order,  i.  That  the 
Lord  is  the  Word,  becaufe  the  Word  is  from  Him 
and  of  Him.  2.  And  becaufe  it  is  the  Divine 
Truth  of  Divine  Good.  3.  That  thus  to  be  taught 
out  of  the  Word,  is  to  be  taught  out  of  Him.  4. 
And  that  this  being  effeded  mediately  by  Preach- 
ings doth  not  take  away  the  immediate  [Teaching.] 
First,  That  the  Lord  is  the  Word,  becaufe  it  is  from 
Him,  and  concerning  Him,  That  the  Word  is  from 
the  Lord,  is  denied  by  no  one  in  the  Church  ;  but 
that  the  Word  is  concerning  the  Lord  Alone,  this 
indeed  is  not  denied,  but  neither  is  it  known  ;  it  is 
however  fliewn  in  the  Doctrine  of  the  New  Je- 

IIUSALEM  CONCERNING  THE  LORD,  H.   I  tO  7,  and 


The  DiyiNE  Providence.        229 

n.  37  to  44;  and  in  the  DocTruNE  of  the  New 
Jerusalem    concerning  the   Sacred  Scrip- 
ture, n.  62  to  69,  n.  80  to  90,  n.  98  to  100 :  Nov/ 
foraimuch  as  the  Word  is  from  the  Lord  alone,  and 
concerning  the  Lord  alone,  it  follows,  that  when 
Man  is  taught  out  of  the  Word,  he  is  taught  out  of 
the  Lord,  for  the  Word  is  Divine ;  who  can  com. 
municate  what  is  Divine,  and  plant  it  in  the  Heart, 
but  the  Divine  (Being)  Himfelf,  from  whom  it  is* 
and  concerning  whom  it  treats?    Wherefore  the 
Lord  faith,  where  he  fpeaketh  of  his  Conjundion 
with  his  DIfcipIes,  "  That  they  Jhould  abide  in  Him, 
and  His  Words  in  them;'  John  xv.  7.     "  That  his 
Words  were  Spirit  and  Life,''    John  vi.  ^i^-,  ''And 
that  he  maketh  his  Abode  with  them,   who  keep  his 
Words,"  xiv.  20  to  24;  wherefore  to  think  from  or 
out  of  the   Lord,  is  to  think  from,  or  out  of  the 
Word,  as  by  the   Word.     That  all  Things  of  the 
Word  have  Communication  with  Heaven,  is  fhewn 
in    The    Doctrine    of  the  New  Jerusalem 
concerning  the  Sacred  Scripture,  from  Be- 
ginning  to  End  ;  and  forafmuch  as  the  Lord  is  Heav- 
en, it  is  meant  that  all  Things  of  the  Word  have 
Communication  with  the  Lord  Himfelf:  llie  An- 
gels  of  Heaven  indeed  have   Communication,    bur 
this  is  alfo  from  the  Lord.     Secondly,    That  the 
Lord  is  the  Word,  becaufe  it  is  the  DrSine  Truth  of 
Divine  Good  :  That  the  Lord  is  the  Word,  he  teach- 
cth  in  John  in  thefe  Words,  '^  In  the  Begimiing  was 
the  Word,  and  the  Word  was  with  God,  and  God  was 
the  Word  :  And  the  Word  was  made  Flcfh,  and  dwelt 
in   us;'  i.   I,  14:  Forafmuch  as  this  Pafiage  hath 
heretofore  been  no  otherwife  underflood,  than  as 

implying 


230    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

implying  that  God  taught  Men  by  the  Word,  there, 
fore  it  hath  been  explained  by  fuppofmg  it  an  eleva- 
ted ExprefTion,  which  involves  that  the  Lord  is  not  the 
Worditfelf:  The  ReafoniSjbecaufeMen  did  not  know, 
that  by  the  Word  is  meant  the  Divine  Truth  of  D'u 
vine  Good,  or,  what  is  the  fame,  the  Divine  Wifdom 
of  Divine  Love  ;  that  thefe  are  the  Lord  Himfelf,is 
fliewn  in  the  Treatife  on  The  Divine  Love  and 
THE  Divine  Wisdom,  in  Part  the  Firft  ;  and  that 
thefe  are  the  Word  is  fliewn  in  The  Doctrine 
OF  the  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sa- 
cred ScRiPTuiiE,  n.  I  to  86.     How  the  Lord  is 
the  Divine  Truth  of  Divine  Good,   we  fhall   alfo 
briefly  fhew  in  this  Place  :  A  Man  is  not  a  Man  by 
Virtue  of  his  Face  and  Body,  but  by  Virtue  of  the 
Good  of  his  Love  and  the  Truths  of  his  Wifdom ; 
and  whereas  Man  is  Man  by  Virtue  of  thefe  Princi* 
pies,  every  Man  is  alfo  his  own  Truth  and  his  own 
Good,  or  his  own  Love  and  his  own  Wifdom  ;  with- 
out thefe  he  is  not  a  Man :  But  the  Lord  is  Good- 
nefs  itfelf  and  Truth  itfelf,   or,  what  is  the  fame. 
Love  itfelf  and  Wifdom  itfelf  j  and  thefe  are    the 
Word,  which  in  the  Beginning  was  with  God,  and 
which   was   God,    and   which    was   made    Flefh, 
Thirdly,  Tlmt  ihus  to  he  taught  out  of  the  Word^  is 
io  be  taught  of  the  Lord  Him/elf  becaufe  it  is  to  be 
taught  out  of  Gocdnefs  itfelf  and  out  of  Truth  itfelf, 
or  out  of  Love  itfelf  and  out  of  Wifdom  itfelf, 
v/hich  are  the  Word,  as  was  faid  ;  but  every  one  is 
taught  according  to  the  Underftanding  of  his  Love, 
and  what  is  over  and  above  doth  not  remain.     All 
they,  who  are  taught  of  the  Lord  in  the  Word,  are 
inflrucled  in  a  few  Truths  in  the  W^orld,  but  in  ma- 

ny 


The  Divine  Providence, 


2J1 


ny  when  they  become  Angels ;  for  the  Interiors  of 
the  Word,  which  are  Divine  Spiritual  and  Divine 
Celeftial  Things,  are  implanted  at  the  fame  Time, 
but  thefe  are  not  opened  in  Man  till  after  his  Death, 
in  Heaven,  where  he  is  in  Angelic  Wifdom,  which, 
comparatively  to  human,  and  therefore  to  his  former 
Wifdom,  is  ineffable.  That  the  Divine  fpiritual  and 
the  Divine  celellial  Things,  which  conditute  Angel- 
ic Wifdom,  are  in  all  and  every  Particular  of  the 
Word,  may  be  feen  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New 
Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred  Scrip-* 
ture,  n.  5  to  26.  Fourthly,  That  this  being  ef- 
fcded  mediately  by  Preachings^  doth  not  take  away 
the  immediate  [Teaching ;]  The  Word  cannot  other- 
wife  be  taught  than  mediately  by  Parents,  Mafterr, 
Preachers,  Books,  and  efpecially  by  reading  it ;  but 
ftill  it  is  not  taught  from  them,  but  by  thein  of  the 
Lord :  This  alfo  is  agreeable  to  what  is  known  un- 
to Preachers,  who  fay,  that  they  do  not  fpeak  from 
themfelves  but  from  the  Spirit  of  God  ;  and  that 
every  Thing  true,  as  well  as  every  Thing  good,  is 
from  God ;  they  can  indeed  fay  this,  and  make  it 
enter  into  the  Underftanding  of  many,  but  not  into 
the  Heart  of  any  one,  and  what  is  not  in  the  Heart, 
that  perifheth  in  the  Underflanding  ;  by  the  Heart 
is  meant  the  Love  of  Man.  Hence  it  may  be  feen, 
that  Man  is  led  and  taught  of  the  Lord  alone  ;  and 
immediately  of  Him,  when  out  of  the  Word.  This 
is  an  Arcanum  of  Arcana  of  Angelic  Wifdom.  " 

173.  That  the  Word  is  alfo  the  Light  of  thofe, 
who  are  out  of  the  Church,  and  have  not  the  Word, 
is  fhewn  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusa- 
lem CONCERNING  THE    SaCRED    ScRIPTURE,   n. 

104 


1^  n  '^ 


32    Angelic  Wisdom  eoNcERNiNc 

104  to  113:  And  forafmuch  as  Man  hath  Light 
through  the  Word,  and  from  Light  hath  Uiider-^ 
Handing,  and  this  is  the  Cafe  with  the  Wicked  as 
well  as  the  Goodj  it  follows,  that  from  Light  in  its 
Origin,  exifts  Light  in  its  Derivations,  which  are 
Perceptions  and  Thoughts  on  any  Subjetl  whatfoev- 
er  :  The  Lord  faith,  "  That  zaitlwia  Him  tbey  can 
do  Nothing^''  John  xv,  5.  "  That  a  Man  cannot  take 
any  Thing  except  it  he  given  him  from  Hea'ven,'"^]ohrt 
In.  27.  '^  And  that  our  Father  which  is  ih  Heaven^ 
maketh  his  Sun  to  rije  on  the  Evil  and  on  the  Good^  and 
fcndeth  Rain  on  the  Jujl  and  on  the  Unjuji^^  Matt.  Vo 
45  ;  by  Sun  is  meant  here,  as  elfewhere  in  the 
Word,  in  its  fpiritual  Senfe,  the  Divine  Good  of  Di- 
Tine  Love,  and  by  Rain  the  Divine  Truth  of  Divine 
Wifdom  \  thefe  are  given  to  the  Evil  and  to  the 
Good,  and  to  the  Jufl  and  to  the  Unjuft,  for  if  they 
were  not  given,  no  one  would  have  Perception  and 
Thought.  That  there  is  one  foJe  Life,  from  which 
all  have  Life,  was  fliewn  above,  and  Perception  and 
Thought  is  of  Life,  wherefore  from  the  fame  Foun- 
tain from  which  Life  is,  are  alfo  Perception  and 
Thought.  That  all  Light,  which  makes  the  Under- 
ftanding,  is  from  the  Sun  of  the  fpiritual  World, 
which  is  the  Lord,  was  abundantly  (hewn  above. 

1 74.  V.  That  Man  in  Exteriials  is  led  and  taught 
of  the  Lord^  to  all  Appearance  as  Of  himfclf :  This  is 
done  iti  his  Externals,  but  not  in  Internals  ;  no  one 
knows  how  the  Lord  leadeth  and  teacheth  Man  in 
his  Internals,  jufl  as  he  doth  not  know  how  the 
Soul  operates  that  the  Eye  may  fee,  the  Ear  hear^ 
the  Tongue  and  Mouth  fpeak,  the  Heart  imfjel  the 
Blood,  the  Lungs  refpire,  the  Stomach  diged,  the 

Liver 


The  i5iviNE  pROviDENCEi        233 

Liver  and  Pancreas  diftribute  [_difpona?it^']  the  Kid- 
tieys  fecrete,  and  innumerable  other  Things  ;  ihefe 
do  not  come  to  the  Perception  and  Senfation  of 
Man  ;  in  hke  Manner  it  is  with  the  Things  which 
are  done  of  the  Lord  in  the  interior  Subilances  and 
Forms  of  the  Mind^  which  Things  are  infinitely 
more  in  number  :  The  Operations  of  the  Lord 
therein  do  not  appear  to  Man  ;  but  the  EH'ecls 
themfelves  appear,  which  are  many,  and  alfo  fome 
Caufes  of  Efieds  ;  thefe  are  Externals  in  which 
Man  is,  together  with  the  Lord  ;  and  forafmuch  as 
Externals  make  one  with  Internals,  for  they  cohere 
in  one  Series,  therefore  no  other  Difpofition  can  be 
made  in  Internals  by  the  Lord,  but  according  to 
that  Difpofition  which  is  made  in  Externals  by 
Means  of  Man.  That  Man  thinketh,  willeth, 
fpeaketh,  and  acleth  to  all  Appearance  as  from 
himfelf,  every  one  knows  5  and  that  without  fuch 
Appearance  Man  would  have  no  Will  and  Under* 
ftandingj  ccnfequently  no  AtFedion  and  Thought, 
and  alfo  no  Reception  of  any  Thing  good  and  true 
from  the  Lord,  any  one  may  fee  ;  this  being  the 
Cafe,  it  follows,  that  without  fuch  Appearance 
there  w^ould  be  no  Knowledge  of  God,  no  Charity 
and  Faith,  and  confequently  no  Reformation  and 
Regeneration,  therefore  no  Salvation  ;  from  which 
Confiderations  it  is  evident,  that  tnis  Appearance 
was  given  to  Man  of  the  Lord  for  all  thofe  Ufes  ; 
and  principally  that  he  might  have  a  Receptive  and 
a  Reciprocal  [Principle]  (or  Receptibility  and  Re- 
ciprocality,)  by  which  the  Lord  may  be  conjoined 
to  Man,  and  Man  to  the  Lord,  and  that  Man  by 
that  Conjunction  may  hve  to  Eternity.  This  Ap- 
pearance it  is  which  is  here  meant. 

'      F  F  Thai 


^34    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 


That  it  is  a  Law  of  the  Divine  Provi-* 
dcnce^  that  Man  jhould  not  perceive 
and  feel  any  Thing  of  the  Operation  of 
the  Divine  Providence^  bid  yet  Jhould 
knozu  and  acknowledge  it. 

175.  'TT'HE  natural  Man,  who  doth  not  beHeve 
JL    in  the  Divine  Providence,  thinks  with 
himfelf.  What  is  the  Divine  Providence,  when  I  fee 
the  Wicked  are  promoted  to  greater  Honours,  and 
acquire  more  Wealth  than  the  Good  ;  and  when 
many  fuch  like  Things  fucceed  better  with  thofe, 
"who  do  not  believe  in  the  Divine  Providence,  than, 
with  thofe  who  do  ?  Yea,  when  Infidels  and  impi- 
ous Perfons  can  occafion  Injuries,  LolTes,  and  Mif^ 
fortunes,  and  fometimes  Death  to  the  Faithful  and 
Pious,  and  this  by  Craft  and  Malice  ?  Thus  the 
natural  Man  in  Thought  fays  to  himfelf,  Do  not  I 
fee  from  Experience  itfelf,  as  in  open  Day,  that  de- 
ceitful Machinations,  provided  a  Man  by  ingenious 
Cunning  can  make  them  appear  to  be  faithful  and 
juft,  prevail  over  Fidelity  and  Juftice  ?   What  am  I 
to  think  then  of  other  Cafes,  but  that  they  are  Ne- 
cefTities,  Confequences,  and  fortuitous  Incidents,  in 
vhich  Nothing  from  the   Divine  Providence  ap- 
pears ?  Are  not  Neceffities  to  be  afcribed  to  Na- 
ture ?    Are  not  Confequences  Caufes  flowing  from 
natural  or  civil  Order  ?  And  are  not  fortuitous  In- 
cidents either  derived  from  Caufes  which  are  not 
known,  or  from  no  Caufes  at  all  ?    Such  are  the 

Thought? 


The  Divine  Providence.         235 

Thoughts  of  the  natural  Man,  who  attributes  Noth- 
ing to  God,  but  all  Things  to  Nature,  for  he  who 
doth  not  attribute  any  Thing  to  God,  neither  doth 
he  attribute  r.ny  Thing  to  the  Divine  Providence, 
inafinuch  as  God  and  the  Divine  Providence  make 
one.     But  the  fpiritual  Man  fays  or  thinks  other- 
wife  with  hiinfelf ;  although  he  doth  not  perceive 
in  Thought,  or  fee  with  his  Eyes,  the  Divine  Prov- 
idence in  its  Progrefiion,  yet  he  knoweth  and  ac 
knowledgeth  it.      Now  forafmuch  as  the  above- 
mentioned  Appearances  and  confequent  Fallacies 
have  blinded  the  Underllanding,  and  this  cannot 
receive  any  Sight,  unlefs  the  Fallacies  which  had 
induced  Blindnefs,  and  the  falfe  Principles  which 
had  induced  Darknefsp  be  difpelled ;  and  forafmuch 
as  this  cannot  be  done  but  by  Truths,  in  which 
there  is  a  Power  of  difpelling  falfe  Principles,  there- 
fore thefe  Truths  are  to  be  opened ;  but  that  this 
may  be  done  diftinctly,  it  i?iay  be  expedient  to  ob- 
ferve  the  following  Order.     T.  That  if  Man  per- 
ceived and  felt  the  Operation  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, he  would  not  ad  from  Liberty  according  to 
Reafon,  neither  would  any  Thing  appear  to  him  as 
from  himfelf.     The  fame  would  be  the  Cafe  if  he 
foreknew  Events.     II.  That  if  Man  manifedly  faw 
the  Divine  Providence,  he  would  interfere  with  the 
Order  (mferret/e  Ordhii)  and  Tenor  of  its  Progref- 
fion,  and  pervert  and  deflroy  it.     III.  That  if  Man 
manifeflly  faw  the  Divine  Providence,  he  would  ei- 
ther deny  God,  or  make  himfelf  a  God.    IV.  That 
it  is  given  Man  to  fee  the  Divine  Providence  or^ 
the  Back,  and  not  in  the  Face  fa  Tcrgo  ct  non  a 

Facie  :) 


23^    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Tacle  ;* )  alio  in  a  fpiritual  State^  and  not  in  a  nat- 
ural State. 

176.  I.  That  if  Man  perceived  andfilt  the  Opera^ 
iion  of  the  Di-vine  Providence^  he  would  not  act  fron} 
Liberty  according  to  E.eafony  neither  would,  ajiy  Thin^ 
appear  to  him  as  from  himfelf  or  0s  his  own.  The 
fame  would  be  the  Cafe  if  Man  foreknew  Eve?its. 
That  it  is  a  Law  of  the  Divine  Providence,  that  Man 
fhould  a£t  from  Liberty  according  to  Reafon  ;  alfo 
that  whatfoever  a  Man  willeth,  thinketh,  fpeaketh, 
^nd  doeth,  fliould  appear  to  bim  as  from  himfelf  ^ 
and  that  without  fuch  Appearance  no  Man  would 
have  any  Thing  his  own,  or  be  his  own  Man,  there? 
fore  would  have  Nothing  proper  to  himfelf  fPror 
prium^J  and  thus  no  Imputation,  v/ithout  which  it 
would  be  indifferent  whether  he  did  Evil  or  Good, 
and  whether  he  had  the  Faith  of  God  or  the  Per^ 
fuafion  of  Hell ;  in  a  Word,  that  in  fuch  a  Cafe  he 
would  not  be  Man,  was  ilaewn  above  under  its  feve- 
ral  Articles  to  the  Evidence  of  the  Underftanding, 
We  {hall  now  proceed  to  fhew,  that  Man  would 
have  no  Liberty  of  ading  according  to  |leafon,  and 
110  Appearance  of  ading  as  from  himfelf,  if  he  per- 
ceived and  felt  the  Operation  of  the  Divjne  Provir 
dence,  becaufe  if  he  perceived  and  felt  it,  he  would 
alfo  be  led  of  it,  for  the  Lord  by  his  Divine  Provi- 
dence leadeth  all,  and  not  Man  himfelf  except  in 
Appearance,  as  was  alfo  fhewn  above  ;  wherefore 
if  he  had  a  lively  Perception  and  Senfation  of  being 
)ed,  he  would  not  be  confcious  of  Life,  and  in  fuch 
Cafe  would  fcarcely  differ  from  a  Statue,  when  op- 
erated 

*  A  Tergo  et  non  a  Facie^  or  when  it  Is  paft  and  not  in  its  Approach* 
pr  behind  and  not  before.  The  literal  Verfion  is  preferred?  and 
i.iierted  in  the  Text  as  being  more  expreflive. 


The  Divine  Providence.        237 

crated  upon  to  utter  Sounds  and  to  a6t :  Suppofing 
him  however  fWl  confcious  of  Life,  yet  he  would 
only  be  led  like  one  bound  Hand  and  Foot,  or  like 
a  Horfe  before  a  Cart  :  Who  doth  not  fee,  that  in 
this  Cafe  Man  would  not  have  any  Liberty,  and  if 
he  had  not  any  Liberty,  neither  would  he  have  any 
Reafon,  for  every  one  thinketh  from  Liberty  and  in 
J^iberty,  and  whatfoever  he  doth  not  think  from 
Liberty  and  in  Liberty,  doth  not  appear  to  him 
from  himfelf,  but  from  another  ;  yea,  if  you  w^eigh  • 
this  interiorly,  you  will  perceive,  that  neither  would 
he  have  Thought,  m\ich  lefs  Reafon,  and  confe- 
quently  would  not  be  a  Man. 

177.  It  is  the  continual  Operation  of  the  Divine 
Providence  of  the  Lord,  to  withdraw  Man  from 
Evils  ;  fuppofmg  now  any  one  v/ere  to  perceive 
and  feel  this  continual  Operation,  and  yet  were  not 
to  be  led  as  one  bound,  would  he  not  continually 
refifl  it,  and  in  fuch  Cafe  would  he  not  either  ftrive 
ivith  God,  or  mix  Self  with  the  Divine  Providence  ? 
If  he  did  the  latter,  he  would  make  himfelf  alfo 
God  ;  if  the  former,  he  would  loofe  himfelf  from 
all  Bonds,  and  deny  God  :  This  is  very  evident, 
that  there  would  be  two  Powers  continually  ading 
^gainft  each  other,  the  Power  of  Evil  from  Man, 
and  the  Power  of  Good  from  the  Lord,  and  when 
two  Oppofites  a6l  againfl  each  other,  then  either 
one  overcometh,  or  both  perifh  ;  but  in  this  Cafe, 
if  one  overcometh,  both  periili,  for  the  Evil  which 
is  of  Man  doth  not  receive  Good  from  the  Lord  in 
a  Moment,  neither  doth  the  Good  from  the  Lord 
cafl  out  the  Evil  from  Man  in  a  Pvloment,  for  if 
teither  the  one  or  the  other  were  done  in  a  Moment, 

Life 


238    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Life  would  not  remain  in  Man.  Thefe  and  many 
other  hurtful  Confequences  would  enfue,  if  Man 
manifeftiy  perceived  or  felt  the  Operation  of  the 
Divine  Providence.  But  this  will  be  clearly  dem-r 
onflrated  by  Examples  in  what  follows. 

178.  The  Reafon  alfo,  why  ii:  is  not  given  Mail 
to  foreknow  Events,  is,  that  he  may  be  able  to  a£t 
from  Liberty  according  to  Reafon  ;  for  it  is  known, 
that  whatfoever  Man  loveth,  he  willeth  to  effe*^, 
and  leadeth  himfelf  to  it  by  Reafon  ;  alfo  that  there 
is  Nothing  that  a  Man  revolveth  in  his  Reafon, 
which  is  not  from  his  Love  that  it  may  come  into 
Efied  by  Thought  ;  wherefore  if  he  knew  the  Ef? 
feci  or  Event  from  Divine  Prediction,  Reafon  would 
become  quiefcent,  facquiefceret^)  ^nd  with  Reafon 
Love  ;  for  Love  with  Reafon  terminates  in  the  Efr 
feci,  and  from  the  Eifecl  beginneth  anew.  It  is  th^ 
very  effential  Delight  of  Reafon,  that  from  Love  in 
Thought  it  feeth  the  Effecl,  not  in  the  Effed,  but 
before  it,  or  not  in  the  prefent,  but  in  the  future : 
Hence  PJan  hath  that  which  is  called  Hope,  which 
in  Reafon  increafeth  and  decreafeth,  as  it  fees  c;r 
expeds  the  Event ;  this  Dehght  is  fulfilled  in  the  E? 
vent,  but  afterwards  is  obHterated  with  the  Thought 
concerning  the  Event ;  it  would  be  the  fame  wit^ 
an  Event  foreknown.  The  Mind  of  Man  is  contin? 
ually  in  thefe  three  Principles,  which  are  called 
End,  Caufe,  and  Effe<5l ;  if  one  of  thefe  is  wanting, 
the  human  Mind  is  not  in  its  Life  ;  the  Affedion 
of  the  Will  is  the  End  from  which,  the  Thought 
of  the  Underflanding  is  the  Caufe  by  which,  and 
the  Action  of  the  Body,  the  Speech  of  the  Mouth, 
or  external  Senfation,  are  the  Eiled  of  the  End  t.y 

the 


The  Divine  Providence.         ^239 

the  Thought  :  That  the  human  Mind  is  not  in  its 
Life,  when  it  is  only  in  the  Affedion  of  the  Will, 
and  in  Nothing  elfe,  and  in  like  Manner  when  it  is 
only  in  the  Effed,  is  evident  to  any  one  ;  wherefore 
the  Mind  hath  not  any  Life  from  one  of  the  Princi- 
ples feparately,  but  from  the  three  in  Conjunction  ; 
this  Life  of  the  Mind  would  be  diminiflied  and 
would  recede  in  a  predi6led  Event. 

179.  Forafmuch  as  a  Foreknowledge  of  the  Fu- 
*  ture  takes  away  the  effential  human  Principle,  which 
confifts  in  a6^ing  from  Liberty  according  to  Reafon, 
therefore  it  is  not  given  to  any  one  to  know  the  Fu- 
ture, but  every  one  is  allowed  to  conclude  concern- 
ing Things  to  come  from  Reafon,  and  hence  Reafon 
with  ail  that  appertaineth  to  it  is  in  its  Life  ;  it  is  on 
this  Account,  that  Man  doth  not  know  his  Lot  after 
Death,  or  know  any  Event  before  he  is  in  it  ;  for  if 
he  knevv',  he  would  no  longer  think  from  his  interi- 
or Self  (interlore  fe^)  hov/  he  v;as  to  ad:  or  to  live, 
in  Order  that  he  may  come  thereto,  but  would 
think  only  from  his  exterior  Self,  that  it  would 
come  to  pafs,  and  this  latter  State  clofeth  the  Inte- 
riors of  his  Mind,  in  which  the  two  Faculties  of  his 
Life,  which  are  Liberty  and  Rationality,  principally 
refide.  The  Defire  of  foreknowing  the  Future  is 
connate  with  mod  People,  but  this  Defire  derives 
ic  Origin  from  the  Love  of  Evil ;  wherefore  it  is  ta- 
ken away  from  thofe  who  believe  in  the  Divine 
Providence,  and  there  is  given  to  them  a  Confi- 
dence, that  the  Lord  will  difpofe  of  their  Lot,  and 
therefore  they  do  not  defire  to  foreknow  it,  left  by 
any  Means  they  fnould  interfere  with  the  Divine 
Providence :  This  the  Lord  teacheth  by  many  Paf- 

iages 


2^.0    Angelig  Wisdom  goncerning 

fages  in  Luke,  Chap.  xii.  14  to  48.  That  this  is  a 
Law  of  the  Divine  Providence,  may  be  confirmed 
by  many  Circumftances  from  the  fpiritual  World  j 
mod  People,  when  they  come  into  that  World  after 
Death,  defire  to  know  their  Lot,  but  it  is  anfwered 
them,  that  if  they  hate  lived  well,  their  Lot  is  iri- 
Heaven,  if  they  have  lived  ill,  in  Hell :  But  foraf- 
much  as  all  are  afraid  of  Hell^  even  the  Wicked, 
they  afk  what  they  are  to  do,  and  what  they  are  to 
believe,  that  they  may  go  to  Heaven  5  it  h  anfwered 
them,  that  they  may  do  and  beheve  as  they  will,  but 
that  they  are  to  know,  that  in  Hell  they  neither  do 
what  is  good  nor  think  what  is  triiej  but  only  in 
Heaven  ;  inquire  what  is  good  and  what  is  true, 
and  think  the  one  and  do  the  other,  if  you  are  able  j 
^  thus  it  is  left  to  every  one  to  a<^  from  Liberty  ac- 
cording to  Reafon,  in  the  fpiritual  World  as  in  the 
natural  World,  but  as  they  a6led  in  this  World,  fa 
they  a£l  in  that,  for  the  Life  of  every  one  continues 
with  him,  and  thence  is  his  Lot,  becaufe  the  Lot  is^ 
of  the  Life. 

180.  11.  T/jat  if  Man  mcuiifcjlly  fa^oj  the  Dhi?ie 
Providence^  he  would  interfere  with  the  Order  and 
Tenor  of  its  Progreffion,  and  would  pervert  and  dejiroy 
it :  That  this  may  enter  diftinclly  into  the  Percep- 
tion of  the  rational  and  alfo  of  the  natural  Man,  it 
may  be  expedient  to  illuflrate  it  by  Examples  in  this 
Order,  i.  That  Externals  have  fuch  a  Connexion 
with  Internals,  that  in  every  Operation  they  make 
one.  2.  That  Man  is  only  in  fome  Externals  with 
the  Lord,  and  if  he  was  at  the  fame  Time  in  Inter- 
nals,  he  would  pervert  and  deftroy  all  the  Order  and 
Tenor  of  the  ProgreiTion  of  the  Divine  Providence : 

But, 


The  Divine  Providence.         241 

Bat,  as  was  faiJ,  thcfe  Particulars  (hall  be  illuilrated 
by  Examples.     First  :    That  Externals  baijefuch  a 
Connexion  ivlth  Internals ^  that  in  every  Operation  tLey 
make  one :  The  llludratlon  in  this  Cafe  fhall  be  ta- 
ken from  feme  Particulars  in  the  human  Body  :  Iii 
the  Whole  and  in  every  Part  of  the  human  Body 
there  are  Externals  and  Internals ;  the   Externals 
are  called  Skins,  Membranes,   and  Coverings,  the 
Internals  arc  Forms  varioully  compofed  and  contex- 
tured  of  nervous  Fibres  and  Blood- VeiTels :  The 
Covering  which  infolds  them,  by  Exfertions  or  Fi- 
bres fent  out  of  itfelf,  enters  into  all  the  Interiors 
even  to  the  Intimates  or  inmofl  Parts  ;  thus  the  Ex- 
ternal, which  is    the    Covering,    connedeth  itfelf 
with  all  the  Internals,  which  are  organic  Forms  con- 
fifting  of  Fibres  and  Vcnels :  From  which  it  follows, 
that  as  the  External  acts  or  is  acled  upon,  the  In- 
ternals alfo  act  or  ar^  acled  upon,  for  there  is  a  per- 
petual Confafcicuiation  of  the  Whole,     Only  take 
in  the  Body  fome  common  Covering,  as  for  Exam- 
ple the  Pleura,  which  is  the  common  Covering  of 
the  Bread,  or  of  the  Heart  and  Lungs,  and  exam- 
ine it  with  an  anatomical  Eye,  or,  if  you  have  not 
made  this  your  particular  Study,  confult  Anatomids, 
and  they  will  tell  you,  that  this  common  Covering, 
by    various    Circumvolutions,    and   afterwards   by 
Exfertions  or  Derivations  from  iifelf,  finer  and  fi- 
ner, enters   into   the  inmod    [Subdance]]   of  the 
Lungs,  even  to  the  fmalled  bronchial  Ramifications, 
and  into  the  Folhcles  themfelves,  which  are  the  Be- 
ginnings of  the  Lungs :  Not  to  mention  its  Progref- 
fion  afterwards  by  the  Trachea  to  the  Larynx  to- 
wards the  Tongue  ;  from  which  it  is  evident,  that 
G  G  there 


2Jfi     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

there  is  a  perpetual   Connexion  of  the    Outmoft 
with  the  Inmoft,  wherefore  as  the  Outmoft  ads  or 
is  aded  upon,  fo  alfo  the  Interiors  from  the  Inmofl 
or  Intimates  ad  or  are  acied  upon  :  And  this  is  the 
Reafon,  that  when  that  outmoft  Covering,  which  is 
the  Pleura,  has  either  a  Defhixion  or  Inflammation, 
or  is  full  of  Ulcers,  the  Lungs  labour  from  their  in- 
mod  [Parts,]  and  if  the  Difeafe  increafes,  all  Ac- 
lion  of  the  Lungs  ceafes,  and  the  Man  dies.      It  is 
the  fame  in  every  other  Part  of  the  Body,  as  with 
the  Peritoneum,  the  common   Covering  of  all 
the  abdominal  Vifcera  ;   as  alfo  with  the  Coverings 
about  each,  as  with  the  Stomach,  the  Liver,  the 
Pancreas,  the  Spleen,  the  Inteftines,  the  Mefentery, 
the    Kidneys,    and    with    the   Organs   of  Genera- 
tion in  both  Sexes  j  take  any  of  thefe  Parts,  and 
either  examine  it  yourfelf  and  you  will  fee,  or  con- 
fult  thofe  who  are  {killed  in  that  Science,  and  you 
will  hear  )   as  for  Example,   take  the   Liver,   and 
you  will  find  that  there  is   a   Connexion  of  the 
PeritoHceum  with  the  Covering  of  that  Vifcus,  and 
by  that  Covering  with  its  inmofl  [Subftance,]  for 
there  are  perpetual  Exfertions  thence,  and  Infer- 
tlcns  towards  the  Interiors,  and  thus  Continuations 
to  the  inmofl  [Parts,]  and  thence  a  Confafciation 
of  the  Whole,  which  is  fuch,  that  when  the  Cover- 
ing ads  or  is  aded  upon,  the  whole  Form  in  like 
Manner  ads  or  is  aded  upon.      It  is  the  fame  with 
the  reft  :   The  Reafon  is,  that  in  every  Form,  what 
is  common  and  what  is  particular,  or  what  is  uni- 
verfal  and  v^hat  is  fmgular,  by  a  Vvonderful  Con- 
jundion  ad  as  one.      That  the  Cafe  is  the  fame  in 
fpiritual  Forms,  and  in  the  Changes  and  Variations 

of 


The  Divine  Providence.         243 

of  their  State,  which  have  Relation  to  the  Opera- 
tions of  the  Will  and  Under ftandirig,  as  in  natural 
Forms  and  their  Operations,  which  have  Relation 
to  Motion  and  Adion,  will  be  feen  below.  Novi^ 
forafmuch  as  Man,  in  Ibme  external  Operations,  is 
together  with  the  Lord  (^una  cum  Domino^)  and  the 
Liberty  of  ading  according  to  Reafon  is  not  taken 
away  from  any  one,  it  follows,  that  the  Lord  can- 
not ad  olherwife  in  Internals  than  as  together  Vv'ith 
Man  in  Externals :  Wherefore  if  Man  doth  not  fhun 
and  avoid  Evils  as  Sins,  the  External  of  the  Thought 
and  Will  mufl  be  vitiated  and  difeafed,  and  then  at 
the  fame  Time  their  Internal,  comparatively  Hke  the 
Pleura  from  its  Difeafe  which  is  called  Pleurify,  in 
Confequence  of  which  the  Body  dies.  Secondly, 
That  if  Man  was  at  the  fame  Time  in  Internals^  he 
*would  pervert  and  deftroy  all  the  Order  and  Tenor  of 
the  Divine  Providence  :  This  alfp  we  fhall  illuftrate 
by  Examples  from  the  human  Body  :  If  Man  knew 
all  the  Operations  of  both  the  Brains  upon  the  Fi- 
bres, of  the  Fibres  upon  the  Mufcles,  and  of  the 
Mufcles  upon  A6tions,  and  from  a  Knowledge  there- 
of were  to  difpofe  all  Things  as  he  difpofeth  Actions, 
would  he  not  pervert  and  deftroy  all  ?  If  Man  knew 
how  the  Stomach  digefts,  the  Vifcera  about  it  per- 
form their  Ta{k,  elaborate  the  Blood,  and  diftribute 
it  for  the  Bufmefs  of  Life,  and  had  the  Difpofition 
of  the  fame  as  he  hath  in  l''xternals,  as  in  the  Cafe, 
for  Example,  of  Eating  and  Drinking,  would  he  not 
pervert  and  deftroy  all  ?  When  he  cannot  difpofe 
the  External,  which  appears  as  one,  but  deftroys  it 
by  Luxury  and  Intemperance,  what  then  would  be 
the  Cafe  if  he  were  alfo  to  difpofe  Internals,  which 

arc 


244    An.g^lic  Wisdom  concerning 

are  infinite  ?  Wherefore  the  Internals,  led:  Man  by 
any  Will  of  his  Hiould  enter  into  them,  and  make 
them  fubjed  to  himfelf,  are  entirely  exempted  from 
his  Will,  except  the  Mufcles,  which  conftitute  the 
Covering  ;  and  moreover  it  is  not  knov/n  how  thefe 
act,  and  it  is  only  known  that  they  do  acl.  It  is 
the  fame  with  the  other  Parts  of  the  Body,  as  if  a 
Man  were  to  difpofe  the  Interiors  of  his  Eye  to  fee, 
the  Interiors  of  his  Ear  to  hear,  the  Interiors  of  his 
Tongue  to  tafle,  the  Interiors  of  his  Skin  to  feel^ 
the  Interiors  of  his  Heart  to  contract,  the  Interiors 
of  the  Lmigs  to  refpire,  the  Interiors  of  the  Mefen- 
tery  to  dillribute  the  Chyle,  the  Interiors  of  the 
Kidneys  to  fecrete,  the  Interiors  of  the  Organs  of 
Generation  to  propagate,  the  Interiors  of  the  Womb 
to  perfect  the  Embryo,  and  fo  on,  would  he  not  by 
infinite  Means  pervert  and  deftroy  in  thefe  the  Or- 
der of  Progreflion  of  the  Divine  Providence  ?  That 
Man  is  in  Externals,  is  well  known,  as  that  he  fees 
with  the  Eye,  hears  with  the  Ear,  tafles  with  the 
Tongue,  feels  with  the  Skin,  refpires  with  the 
Lungs,  contributes  to  Propagation,  &c.  :  Is  it  not 
enough,  that  he  is  acquainted  with  Externals,  and 
difpofeth  them  for  the  Health  of  the  Body  and 
Mind  ?  When  he  cannot  do  this,  w^hat  would  he  do, 
if  he  w^ere  alfo  to  difpofe  Internals  ?  Hence  then  it 
may  appear,  that  if  Pvlan  manifeftly  faw  the  Divine 
Providence,  he  would  interfere  with  the  Order  and 
Tenor  of  its  Progrefiion,  and  pervert  and  deflroy 
it. 

1 8 1.  The  Reafon  why  it  is  the  fame  in  the  fpir- 
Itual  Things  of  the  Mind,  as  in  the  natural  Things 
of  the  Body,  is,  becaufe  all  Things  of  the  Mind  cor- 

refpond 


The  Divine  Providence.         245 

refpond  to  all  Things  of  the  Body,  wherefore  alfo 
the  Mind  aduates  the  Body  in  Externals,  and  in 
Things  general  [m  co?nmiini']  at  its  Pleafure  ;  it  ac- 
tuates the  Eye  to  fee,  the  Ears  to  hear,  the  Mouth 
and  the  Tongue  to  eat  and  to  drink,  and  alfo  to 
fpeak,  the  Hands  to  do,  the  Feet  to  walk,  tl^e  Or- 
gans of  Generation  to  propagate  ;  the  Mind  not 
only  aduates  the  Externals  to  do  thefe  Things,  but 
alfo  the  Internals  in  all  their  Series,  the  Ultiniates 
from  the  Intimates,  and  the  Intimates  from  the  UI- 
timates  ;  thus,  while  it  aduates  the  Mouth  to  fpeak, 
it  actuates  the  Lungs,  the  Larynx,  the  Glottis,  the 
Tongue,  the  Lips,  and  each  diftindly  to  its  Func- 
tion at  once,  and  alfo  the  Face  conformably.'  Hence 
it  is  evident,  that  the  fame  which  was  faid  of  the 
natural  Forms  of  the  Body,  may  be  faid  of  the  fpi- 
ritual  Forms  of  the  Mind,  and  what  was  faid  of  the 
natural  Operations  of  the  Body,  may  be  faid  of  the 
fpiritual  Operations  of  the  Mind  ;  therefore  as  Man 
difpofeth  Externals,  the  Lord  difpofeth  Internals,  of 
Confequence,  differently  if  Man  of  himfelf  difpofeth 
Externals,  than  if  he  difpofeth  them  of  the  Lord, 
and  at  the  fame  Time  as  if  of  himfelf.  The  Mind 
of  Man  is  alfo  in  every  Particular  of  its  Form  a 
Man,  for  it  is  his  Spirit,  which  after  Death  appear- 
eth  a  Man  altogether  as  in  the  World  ;  and  confe- 
quently  there  are  fimilar  Things  in  both  :,  Thus 
what  was  faid  of  the  Conjundion  of  Externals  with 
Internals  in  the  Body,  is  alfo  to  be  underftood  of 
the  Conjunction  of  Externals  with  Internals  in  the 
Mind  ;  with  this  Difference  only,  that  the  one  is 
natural  and  the  other  fpiritual. 

182.  m. 


246    Angelic  Wisdom   concerning 

182.  III.  That  if  Man  ma'^ifeftlj  faw  the  Divine 
Pro-vide  nee,  he  would  either  deny  God,  or  ?nak^  himfelf 
aGod :  The  merely  natural  Man  faith  with  himfelf. 
What  is  the  Divine  Providence  ?  Is  it  any  Thing 
elfe,  or  any  Thing  more,  than  a  Word  among  the 
Vulgar  received  from  the  Frielt  ?  Who  fees  any 
Tiling  of  it  ?  Is  it  not  Prudence,  Wifdom,  Cun- 
ning, and  Malice,  from  which  all  Things  are  eiTed- 
ed  in  the  World  ?  Other  Things  derived  thence, 
aie  they  not  Neceffities  and  Confequeiices  ;  and 
alfo  in  many  Cafes  Contingencies  ?  Does  the  Di- 
vine Providence  lie  concealed  in  thefe  Things  ? 
How  can  it  in  Craft  and  Cunning  ?  And  yet  it  is 
laid  that  the  Divine  Providence  operates  all  Things : 
Caufe  me  therefore  to  fee  this,  and  I  will  believe  it ; 
can  any  one  believe  it  until  he  fees  it  ?  Thus  doth 
the  natural  Man  fpeak,  but  not  fo  the  fpiritual  Man  ; 
die  latter,  becaufe  he  acknowledges  God,  acknowl- 
edges alfo  the  Divine  Providence,  and  likewife  feeth 
it :  Bat  he  cannot  manifefl  it  to  any  one  who  thinks 
cnly  in  Nature  from  Nature  ;  for  fuch  a  one  can- 
not elevate  his  Mind  above  Nature,  and  fee  in  the 
j^ppearances  thereof  any  Thing  of  the  Divine  Prov- 
idence, or  conclude  any  Thing  concerning  it  from 
die  Laws  of  Nature  which  are  alfo  Laws  of  the  Di- 
Tine  Wifdom  ;  wherefore  if  he  manifefily  faw  it, 
be  would  infufe  it  into  Nature,  and  thus  not  only 
veil  it  over  with  Fallacies,  but  alfo  prophane  it  j 
and  inftead  of  Acknowledging  it,  would  deny  it, 
and  he  who  denies  in  his  Heart  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, alfo  denies  God.  It  mufl  either  be  thought 
that  God  governs  all  Things,  or  Nature  ;  he  who 
thinks  that  God  governs  all  Things,    thinks  that 

they 


The  Divine  Provii:(ence. 


247 


they  are  governed  by  Love  itfelf  and  Wifdom  itfclE, 
therefore  by  Life  itfelf  ;  bat  he  who  thinks  that 
Nature  governs  all  Things,  thinks  that  they  are 
governed  by  natural  Ilcat  and  natural  Light,  which 
neverthelefs  in  themfelvcs  are  dead,  becaufe  they 
are  from  a  dead  Sun  ;  doth  not  what  is  really  Hv- 
ing  govern  what  is  Dead,  or  can  that  which  is  dead 
govern  any  Thing  ?  If  you  think  that  what  is  dead 
can  give  itfelf  Life,  you  are  infane  ;  Life  mufl 
needs  be  from  Life. 

183.  That  if  Man  manifeflly  faw  the  Divine 
Providence  and  its  Operation,  he  would  deny  God, 
appears  as  not  probable,  becaufe  it  feems  that  if  any 
one  faw  it  manifeftly,  he  could  not  but  acknov/ledge 
it,  and  confequently  acknowledge  God  -,  but  yet 
it  is  altogether  otherwife.  The  Divine  Providence 
never  a£ts  in  Unity  with  the  Love  of  Man's  V/ill, 
but  continually  againft  it  :  for  Man,  from  his  he« 
reditary  Evil,  always  pants  towards  the  lowed  Llell, 
whereas  the  Lord  by  his  Providence  continually 
with-holdeth  him,  and  draweth  him  out  thence, 
fird  to  a  milder  Hell,  then  from  Hell,  and  ladly  to 
himfelf  into  Heaven  :  This  Operation  of  the  Divine 
Providence  is  perpetual  ;  wherefore  if  Man  mani- 
feflly  faw  this  Retraction  and  Abduclion,  he  w^ould 
be  angry,  and  account  God  as  his  Enemy,  and  from 
the  Evil  of  his  Proprium  [own  proper  Life]  would 
deny  him  ;  wherefore  left  Man  fnould  know  this, 
he  is  kept  in  Liberty,  w^hereby  he  knows  no  other 
than  that  he  leadeth  himfelf.  But  Examples  may 
ferve  for  lllufiration  :  Man,  by  hereditary  Difpofi- 
tion,  defireth  to  become  great,  and  alio  defireth  to 
become  rich,  and  in  Proportion  as  thcfe  Loves  are 

not 


248     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

not  reftrained,  he  defireth  to  be  greater  and  richer, 
and  at  length,  the  greateft  and  richefl  of  all  ;  and 
neither  thus  would  he  be  quiet,  but  would  defire  to 
become  greater  than  God  himfelf,  and  to  poflefs  the 
very  Heaven  :  This  Cu-pidity  lieth  deeply  concealed 
in  hereditary  Evil,  and  thence  in  Man's  Life,  and 
hi  his  Life's  Nature.  The  Divine  Providence  doth 
not  tcke  away  this  Evil  in  a  Moment,  for  if  it  were 
taken  away  in  a  Moment,  Man  would  not  live  ;  but 
it  is  taken  away  tacitly  and  fuccefTively,  withoirt 
Man' s  knowing  any  Thing  of  it ;  this  is  effefted  by 
this,  that  it  is  permitted  Man  to  ad  according  to 
the  Thought,  which  he  makes  the  Thought  of  his 
Reafon,  and  then  he  is  withdrawn  by  various  Means, 
as  well  rational,  as  civil  and  moral,  and  thus  fo  far 
as  he  can  be  withdrawn  in  Liberty,  he  is  withdrawn. 
Neither  can  Evil  be  taken  away  from  any  one,  ex- 
cept it  appear,  be  feen,  and  acknowledged  ;  it  is 
like  a  Wound  which  is  not  healed,  except  it  be 
opened.  If  therefore  Man  knew,  and  faw,  that  the 
Lord  by  his  Divine  Providence  thus  operates  againfl 
his  Life's  Love,  from  which  he  hath  his  chief  De- 
light, he  could  not  but  run  counter  to  it,  and  be  ex- 
afperated,  contend,  fay  harfn  Things,  and  at  length 
out  of  his  own  Evil  remove  the  Operation  of  the 
Divine  Providence,  by  denying  it,  and  thus  denying 
God  ;  efpecially  if  he  faw  his  Succefs  oppofed,  him- 
felf  call  down  from  Dignity,  and  deprived  of  Opu- 
lence. It  is  hovv'ever  to  be  obferved,  that  the  Lord 
never  withholdeth  Man  from  feeking  after  Hon- 
ours, and  acquiring  Wealth,  but  from  the  Cupidity 
of  feeking  after  Honours  for  the  Sake  of  Eminence 
only,  or  for  the  Sake  of  Self;  in  hke  Manner  from 

acquiring 


The  Divine  Providence*        249 

acquiring  Wealth  for  the  Sake  of  Opulence  only, 
or  for  the  Sake  of  the  Wealth  ;  but  when  he  with- 
draweth  Man  from  thefe^  he  introduceth  him  into 
the  Love  of  Ufes,  that  he  may  refped  Eminence 
not  for  the  Sake  of  Self  but  for  the  Sake  of  Ufes, 
therefore  that  it  may  be  of  Ufes  and  thence  of  him- 
feif,  and  not  firft  of  himfelf  and  thence  of  Ufes  ; 
the  fame  is  true  in  Regard  to  Opulence.  That  the 
Lord  continually  humbleth  the  Proud,  and  exalteth 
the  Humble,  He  Himfelf  teacheth  in  many  Places 
of  the  Word,  and  what  he  there  teacheth,  that  alfo 
is  of  his  Divine  Providence* 

184.  The  Cafe  is  the  fame  with  other  Evils  iix 
which  Man  is  principled  from  hereditary  Difpoii- 
tion,  as  with  Adulteries,  Frauds,  Revenges,  Blaf- 
phemies,  and  other  fuch  like,  all  which  can  no  oth- 
erwife  be  removed,  than  by  the  Liberty  of  thinking 
and  willing  them  being  left,  and  that  fo  Man  may 
remove  them  as  from  himfelf,  which  neverthelefs 
he  cannot  do,  liniefs  he  acknowledges  the  Divine 
Providence,  and  implores  that  it  may  be  effeded  by 
Providence  :  Without  fuch  Liberty  and  the  Divine 
Providence  at  the  fame  Time,  thofe  Evils  would  be 
like  Poifon  (hut  in,  and  not  voided,  which  in  a  fhort 
Time  would  fpread  and  occafion  the  Death  of  all 
Parts  ;  and  they  would  be  like  a  Difeafe  of  the 
Heart  itfelf,  from  which  the  whole  Body  in  a  fhort 
Time  dies. 

185.  That  this  is  the  Cafe,  cannot  better  bs 
known  than  from  the  Cafe  of  Men  after  Death  in 
the  fpiritual  World,  where  the  greateft  Part  of  thofe, 
who  in  the  natural  World  became  great  and  rich, 
and  in  Honours  refpecled  themfelves  alone,  and  alfo 

H  H  in 


250    Angelic  Wisdom  concerninc^ 

in  Riches,  at  firil:  fpeak  of  God,  and  of  the  Divine- 
Providence,  as  if  they  acknowledged  them  in  their 
Hearts  :  But  whereas  they  then  manifeftly  fee  the 
Divine  Providence,  and  from  it  their  final  Portion^ 
which  is  that  they  are  to  be  in  Hell,  they  conned' 
themfelves  with  Devils  there,  and  then  not  only  de- 
ny God,  but  alio  blalpheme  ;  and  then  they  come 
into  fuch  a  Delirium,  that  they  acknowledge  the 
more  powerful  of  the  Devils  for  their  Gods,  and 
affect  Nothing  more  ardently,  than  that  they  them- 
felves alfo  may  be  deified. 

186.  The  Ground  and  Reafon  why  Man  would 
run  counter  to  God,  and  deny  him  alfo,  if  he  man- 
ifeftly faw  the  Operations  of  his  Divine  Providence;^ 
is,  becaufe  Man  is  in  the  Delight  of  his  Love  ;  and 
this  Delight  conflitutes  his  very  Life  -,  wherefore 
when  Man  is  kept  in  the  Delight  of  his  Life,  he  is 
in  his  Freedom,  for  Freedom  and  that  Delight 
make  one  :  In  Cafe  therefore  he  perceived,  that  he 
is  continually  drawn  away  from  iiis  Delight,  he 
would  be  exafperated  againfl  him  who  wanted  ta- 
deftroy  his  Life,  and  would  regard  him  as  an  Ene- 
my :  In  Order  to  guard  againlt  this,  the  Lord  doth 
not  manifeftly  appear  in  his  Divine  Providence,  but 
by  it  tacitly  leadeth  Man,  as  an  imperceptible  Tide- 
or  profperous  Current  doth  a  Ship:  By  this  Means 
Man  knoweth  no  other,  than  that  he  is  conflantly 
in  his  own  Frcfriu??i,  [or  own  proper  Life,]  for 
Liberty  maketh  one  wlih  this  Fropriwrn  ;  hence  it 
is  evident,  that  Liberty  appropriates  to  Man  that 
which  the  Divine  Providence  introduces,  which 
would  not  be  the  Cafe  if  the  latter  manifefled  itfelf  ; 
To  be  appropriated  is  to  become  of  the  Life. 

187.  IV, 


The  Divine  Providence.         251 

1S7.  IV.  That  it  is  given  Man  to  fee  the  Divine 
providence  on  the  Back^  and  not  in  the  Face.,  aJfo  in  a 
fplritual  State^  and  not  in  his  natural  State  :  To  fee 
the  Divine  Providence  on  the  Back  and  not  in  the 
Face,  is  to  fee  it  behind  and  not  before  ;  and  to  fee 
it  from  a  fpiritual  State,  and  not  from  a  natural 
State,  is  to  fee  it  from  Heaven  and  not  from  the 
World  :  All  they  who  receive  Influx  from  Heaven, 
and  acknowledge  the  Divine  Providence,  and  efpe- 
cially  they  who  by  Reformation  are  made  fpiritual, 
when  they  fee  Events  in  a  certain  wonderful  Series, 
from  interior  Acknowledgment  do  as  it  were  fee, 
and  confefs  a  Providence  ;  thefe  do  riot  defire  to 
fee  it  in  the  Face,  that  is,  before  it  exifis,  for  tliey 
are  afraid  left  their  own  Will  fliould  enter  into  any 
Thing  of  its  Order  and  Tenor.  Not  fo  they,  who 
do  not  admit  any  Influx  from  Heaven,  but  only 
from  the  World,  efpecially  they,  who  from  the 
Confirmation  of  Appearances  in  themfelves  are 
made  natural  ;  thefe  do  not  fee  any  Thing  of  the 
Divine  Providence  behind  or  after  it,  but  they 
want  to  fee  it  in  the  Face,  or  before  it  exifts  ;  and 
forafmuch  as  the  Divine  Providence  operates  by 
Means,  and  Means  are  elFeQed  through  Man  or 
through  the  World,  therefore  whether  they  fee  it 
before  or  behind,  they  attribute  it  either  to  Man  or' 
to  Nature,  and  thus  confirm  themfelves  in  the  De- 
nial of  it.  The  Reafon  why  they  fo  attribute  it,  is, 
becaufe  their  Underftanding  is  fliut  above,  and  only 
open  below,  confequently  (liut  towards  Heaven  and 
open  towards  the  World,  and  to  fee  the  Divine 
Providence  from  the  World  is  not  given,  but  ir  is 
given  to  fee  it  from  Heaven.     I  have  fometimes 

thought 


252.    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

thought  with  myfelf,  whether  fuch  Perfons,  in  Cafe 
their  UnderfUnding  \v?.s  opened  above,  and  they 
faw  in  clear  Day  that  Nature  in  itfelf  is  dead,  and 
that  human  Intelligence  in  itfelf  is  Nothing,  but 
that  it  is  only  from  Influx  that  both  thefe  appear  to 
be,  would  acknowledge  the  Divine  Providence,  and 
I  perceived  that  they  who  have  confirmed  them- 
felves  in  Favour  of  Nature  and  of  human  Prudence, 
would  not  acknowledge  it,  becaufe  the  natural 
Light  flowing  in  from  beneath  would  immediately 
extinguifh  the  fpiritual  Light  flowing  in  from  above, 
189.  The  Man  who  is  made  fpiritual  by  the  Ac- 
knowledgment of  Godj  and  wife  by  the  Rejection 
of  his  own  Proprium^  in  the  univerfal  World,  and 
in  all  and  every  Particular  thereof,  feeth  the  Divine 
Providence  ;  if  he  looks  at  natural  Things  he  fees 
it,  if  he  looks  at  civil  Things  he  fees  it,  if  he 
looks  at  fpiritual  Things  he  fees  it,  and  this 
as  well  in  the  fimultaneous  as  the  fuccefTive 
Order  of  Things,  in  Ends,  in  Caufes,  in  Effeds, 
jn  Ufes,  in  Forms,  in  things  great  and  fmall ;  efpe- 
daily  in  the  Salvation  of  Men,  as  that  Jehovah  gave 
the  Word,  that  by  it  he  taught  Men  concerning 
God,  concerning  Heaven  and  Hell,  concerning  Life 
eternal,  and  that  he  came  into  the  World  Himfelf, 
that  he  might  redeem  and  fave  Men :  Thefe  and 
more  fuch  Things,  and  the  Divine  Providence  in 
them,  doth  Man  fee  from  fpiritual  Light  in  natural 
Light.  But  the  merely  natural  Man  fees  Nothing 
of  thefe  Things ;  he  is  like  one  who  beholds  a  mag- 
nificent Temple,  and  hears  a  Preacher  illuminated 
in  Divine  Things,  and  faith  when  at  Home,  that  he 
faw  Nothing  but  a  Stone  Building,  and  heard  Noth- 
ing but  articulate  founds :    Or  he  is  like  a  near- 

fighted 


The  Divine  Providence.         253 

fighted  Man  who  goeth  into  a  garden  furnifhed 
with  all  Kinds  of  Fruits,  and  then  cometh  Home 
and  declareth  that  he  only  faw  a  Wood  and  Trees  : 
Such  alfo  after  Death,  when  they  become  Spirits, 
in  Cafe  they  are  taken  up  into  the  Angelic  Heaven, 
where  all  Things  are  in  Forms  reprefentative  of 
Love  and  Wifdom,  do  not  fee  any  Thing  of  fuch 
Objeds,  or  even  of  their  Exiftence  ;  as  I  have  feen 
the  Cafe  with  feveral  who  denied  the  Divine  Prov- 
idence. 

190.  There  are  many  conflant  [or  fixed]  Things,' 
which  were  created,  in  Order  that  Things  incon- 
flant  [or  unfixed]  might  exiil ;  conflant  Things  are 
the  ftated  Times  of  the  Rifmg  and  Setting  of  the 
Sun  and  Moon,  and  alfo  of  the  Stars ;  the  Darken- 
ing of  them  by  Interpofitions,  which  are  called  E- 
clipfes ;  Heats  and  Lights  from  them ;  the  Seafons. 
of  the  Year,  w^hich  are  called  Spring,  Summer,  Au- 
tumn, and  Winter;  and  the  Times  of  the  Day, 
which  are  the  Morning,  Noon,  Evening,  and  Night; 
alfo  the  Atmofpheres,  Waters,  and  Earths  confider- 
ed  in  themfelves  ;  the  vegetative  Faculty  in  the  veg- 
etable Kingdom,  and  together  with  this  the  pro- 
lific Faculty  in  the  animal  Kingdom ;  likewife  the 
Things  which  are  conftantly  produced  from  thefe, 
when  they  are  put  in  Adion  according  to  the  Laws 
of  Order.  Thefe  and  many  other  Things  are  pro- 
vided by  Creation,  that  Things  infinitely  various 
may  exilt ;  for  Variety  cannot  exift  but  in  Things 
conflant,  flated,  and  certain.  But  Examples  will 
illuflrate  this ;  the  various  Things  of  Vegetation 
would  not  exiil,  if  the  Rifmg  and  Setting  of  the  Sun, 
and  the  Heat  and  Light  thence  proceeding,  were 
not  conflant :  Harmonies  are  of  infinite  Variety,  but 

they 


154    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

they  would  not  exifl,  except  the  Atmofpheres  in 
their  Laws,  and  the  Ears  in  their  Form,  were  con- 
flant :  The  Varieties  of  Sight,  which  are  alfo  infi- 
nite, would  not  exirt,  except  the  Ether  in  its  Laws, 
and  the  Eye  in  its  Form,  v/ere  conftant ;  in  like 
Manner  Colours,  except  the  Light  were  condant : 
It  is  the  fame  with  Thoughts,  Speech,  and  Actions, 
which  are  alfo  of  infinite  Variety,  and  which  would 
not  exifl:,  except  the  organic  Parts  of  the  Body  were 
conftant :  Mud  not  a  Houfe  be  conflant,  that  vari-. 
\)\is  Things  may  be  done  therein  by  Man  ?  In  like 
Manner  a  Temple,  that  various  Particulars  of  Di- 
vine Worfiiip,  Sermons,  Inftrudions,  and  Medita- 
tions of  Piety,  may  be  performed  therein  ?  and  fo 
in  other  Things.  As  to  what  relates  to  the  Varie-. 
ties  themfelves,  which  are  produced  in  Things  con- 
ftant, Hated,  and  certain,  they  go  on  ^id  Jnjimtumy 
and  have  no  End,  and  yet  there  never  exifls  one 
entirely  the  fame  v»^ith  another,  in  all  and  fmgular 
the  Things  of  the  Univerfe,  neither  can  exifl  in  the 
Succefiion  of  Things  to  Eternity  :  V/ho  difpofeth 
thefe  Varieties,  which  go  on  to  Infinity  and  Eterni- 
ty, that  they  may  be  in  Order,  but  He  who  created 
Things  conflant,  to  the  End  that  they  might  exifl 
therein  ?  And  who  can  difpofe  the  infinite  Varieties 
of  Life  among  Men,  but  He  who  is  Life  itfelf,  that 
is.  Love  itfelf  and  Wifdom  itfelf?  V/ithout  his  Di^ 
vine  Providence,  which  is  as  a  continual  Creation, 
could  the  infinite  AiTe^lions  and  the  Thoughts  of 
Men  thence  derived,  and  thus  the  Men  them- 
felves,  be  fo  difpofed  as  to  make  one,  evil  Affec- 
tions and  the  Thoughts  thence  *  derived  one 
Devil  which  is  Hell,  and  good  AfTe^lions  and  the 
Thoughts  thence  derived  one  Lord  in  Heaven  ? 

That 


The  Divine  Providence, 


255 


'*rhat  the  univerfal  Angelic  Heaven  is  in  the  Sight 
of  the  Lord  as  one  Man,  who  is  the  Image  and  Like- 
nefs  of  Himfelf,  and  the  univerfal  Hell,  is  in  Oppo» 
fition  as  one  Man-Monfter,  has  at  Times  been  faid 
and  Hiewn  before.  Thefe  obfervations  are  made, 
becaufe  fome  natural  Men,  even  from  Things  con- 
ftant  and  Hated,  which  are  Neceffities  to  the  End 
that  various  Things  may  exifl  in  them,  catch  at: 
Arguments  in  their  Delirium  in  Favour  of  Nature 
and  Self-derived  Prudence^ 

That  Self-derived  Prudence  is  Nothings 
and  only  appears  as  if  it  was,  and  alfa 
ought  fo  to  appear ;  hut  that  the  Di- 
vine Providence  from  Things  the  moft 
particular  is  univerfaL 

191. ^^  I  ''HAT  Self-derived  Prudence  is  Nothing, 
§  is  altogether  contrary  to  Appearance,  and 
therefore  contrary  to  the  Belief  of  many ;  and  fmce 
this  is  the  Cafe,  no  one,  who  from  Appearance  is 
in  the  Belief  that  human  Prudence  does  every 
Thing,  can  be  convinced  but  by  Reafons  of  deeper 
Invelligation,  which  are  to  be  taken  from  Caufes ; 
fuch  Appearance  is  an  EfFecl,  and  its  Caufes  difcov- 
er  whence  it  is.  In  this  preliminary  Part  we  fhall 
fay  Something  of  the  common  Opinion  concerning- 
this  Matter  ;  Contrary  to  Appearance  is  this  Tenet 
which  the  Church  teacheth.  that  Love  and  Faith 

are 


256    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

are  not  from  Man  but  from  God,  as  alfo  WifJom 
and  Intelligence,  therefore  Prudence  likewife,  and 
in  general  every  Thing  good  and  true ;  when  this 
Tenet  is  received,  it  mufl  alfo  be  received,  that  Self* 
derived  Prudence  is  Nothing,  but  only  appears  as  if 
it  was ;  Prudence  is  from  no  other  Source  but  from 
Intelligence  and  Wifdom,  and  thefe  two  are  from 
no  other  Source  but  from  the  Underftanding  and 
Thought  thence  derived  of  what  is  good  and  true. 
This  is  received  and  believed  by  thofe  who  acknowl- 
edge the  Divine  Providence,  and  not  by  thofe  who 
acknowledge  human  Prudence  alone.  Either  now 
it  muil  be  true  what  the  Church  teacheth,  that  all 
Wifdom  and  Prudence  is  from  God,  or  what  the 
World  teacheth,  that  all  Wifdom  and  Prudence  is 
from  Man :  Can  they  be  reconciled  any  other  wife 
than  by  faying  that  what  the  Church  teacheth  is 
true,  and  that  what  the  World  teacheth  is  an  Ap- 
pearance ?  For  the  Church  confirmeth  what  it  teach- 
eth from  the  Word,  but  the  World  what  it  teach- 
eth from  its  Propriurn  [own  proper  Wifdom,]  and 
the  Word  is  from  God,  and  Propnu?n  is  from  Man. 
Forafmuch  as  Prudence  is  from  God,  and  not  from 
Man,  therefore  a  Chriftian  Man,  when  he  is  in  De- 
votion, prayeth  that  God  would  lead  his  Thoughts, 
Intentions,  and  Adions,  and  alfo  adds,  becaufe 
from  himfelf  he  cannot ;  fuch  a  one  alfo,  when  he 
feeth  any  one  doing  Good,  faith  that  he  was  in- 
clined to  it  by  God,  and  other  fuch  like  Things  : 
Can  any  one  fo  fpeak,  unlefs  he  then  interiorly  be- 
lieves it,  and  to  believe  it  interiorly  is  from  Heaven  ; 
but  when  he  thinketh  with  himfelf,  and  colleds 
Arguments  in  Favour  of  human  Prudence,  he  can 

believe 


The  Divine  Providence.         257 

believe  the  contrary,  and  this  is  from  the  World  : 
But  internal  BeHef  prevaileth  with  thofe  who  ac- 
knowledge God  in  their  Hearts,  whereas  external 
Belief  with  thofe  who  do  not  acknowledge  God  in 
their  Hearts,  howfoever  they  niay  do  it  with  their 
Mouths. 

192.  It  was  faid,  that  no  one,  who  from  Ap- 
pearance is  in  the  Belief  that  human  Prudence 
does  every  Thing,  can  be  convhiced  but  by  Rea- 
fons  of  deeper  Invefligation,  which  are  to  be  de- 
duced from  Caufes  ;  wherefore  that  Reafons  de- 
duced from  Caufes  may  be  evident  to  the  Under- 
ftanding,  it  may  be  expedient  to  prefent  them  in 
their  Order,  which  ihall  be  as  follows.  1.  That 
all  the  Thoughts  of  a  Man  are  from  the  AfFediions 
of  his  Life's  Love,  and  that  there  do  not,  neither 
can  e^xiil,  any  Thoughts  at  all,  without  thofe  Af- 
fedions.  11".  That  the  Affedions  of  a  Man's  Life's 
Love  are  known  to  the  Lord  only.  III.  That  the 
Affedions  of  the  Lille's  Love  of  Pvlan  are  led  of 
the  Lord  by  his  Divine  Providence,  and  in  fuch 
Cafe  at  the  fame  Time  his  Thoughts,  from  which 
human  Prudence  is  derived.  IV.  That  the  Lord 
by  his  Divine  Providence  compoundeth  tiie  Af- 
fedions  of  the  whole  human  Race  into  one  Form, 
which  is  Human.  V.  That  thence  Heaven  and 
Hell,  which  are  from  the  human  Race,  arc  in  fucii 
a  Form.  VI.  That  they  who  have  acknowledged 
Nature  alone,  and  human  Prudence  alone,  con- 
ftitute  Hell  ;  and  they  who  have  acknowledged 
God,  and  his  Divine  Providence,  conuitute  Heav- 
en. VTI.  That  all  thefe  Things  cannot  be  eiTcctcd, 
I  I  unlefs 


^258    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

unlefs  it  appears  to  Man  that  he  thinketh  and  dlf^ 
pofeth  Things  from  Himfelf. 

193.  I.  Thai  all  the  Thoughts  of  a  Man  are  from 
^he  Jffedlions  of  his  Lifers  Love^  and  that  there  d^ 
not,  7icither  can  exiji^  any  Thoughts  at  ally  vjithout  thofe 
Affcdiojis.  What  the  Life's  Love  is,  and  what  the 
Affedions  and  Thoughts  thence  derived,  and  the 
Senfations  and  Adions  therein  grounded,  which 
exift  in  the  Body,,  are  in  their  EHence,  was  fhewn.- 
above  in  this  Treatife,  and  alfo  in  that  which  is- 
called  Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the  Di- 
vine Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,  particu- 
larly in  Part  the  Firft  and  Part  the  Fifth  j  now 
whereas  the  Caufes,  from  which  human  Prudence 
flows  as  an  EfteQ:,  are  from  thefe  Things,  it  is 
neceffary  that  fome  of  them  fliould  be  adduced  here 
alfo  :  For  the  Things  which  are  written  in  another 
Place,  cannot  be  conneded  fo  continuoufly  with  the 
Things  which  are  written  after  them,  as  if  the  fame 
are  recalled  and  placed  in  Sight.  Above  in  this 
Treatife,  and  in  that  before  mentioned  concerning 
The  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,  it 
is  demonflrated,  that  in  the  Lord  there  is  Divine 
Love  and  Divine  Wifdom,  and  that  thefe  two  are 
Life  itfelf,  and  that  from  thefe  two  Man  hath  Will 
and  Under  (landing,  from  the  Divine  Love  Will, 
and  from  the  Divine  Wifdom  Underftanding  ;  and 
that  to  thefe  two  Principles  the  Heart  and  Lungs 
correfpond  in  the  Body  ;  and  that  thence  it  may 
appear,  that  as  the  Ptilfatlon  of  the  Heart,  together 
with  the  Refpiration  of  the  Lungs,  governs  the 
whole  Man  as  to  his  Body,  fo  the  Will,  together 
^vith  the  Underftanding,  governs  the  whole  Man  as 

to 


The  Divine  Providence.        259 

to  his  Mind  ;  and  that  thus  there  are  two  Principles 
of  Life  in  every  Man,  one  natural  and  the  other 
fpiritual,  and  that  the  natural  Principle  of  Life  is.  the 
Pulfation  of  the  Heart,  and  the  fpiritual  Principle  of 
Life  the  Will  of  the  Mind  ;  and  that  each  adjoineth 
to  itfelf  a  Confort,  with  which  it  cohabits^  and  with 
which  it  operates  the  Fundions  of  Life,  and  that 
the  Heart  conjoineth  to  itfelf  the  Lungs,  and  that 
the  Will  conjoineth  to  itfelf  the  Underftanding. 
Now  forafmuch  as  the  Soul  of  the  Will  is  Love> 
and  the  Soul  of  the  Underllanding  is  Wifdom,  both 
from  the  Lord,  it  follows,  that  Love  is  the  Life  of 
every  one,  and  that  the  Quality  of  fuch  Life  is  ac 
cording  to  the  Nature  of  Love's  Conjunction  with 
Wifdom ;  or  what  is  the  fame,  that  the  Will  is  the 
Life  of  every  one,  and  that  the  Quality  of  fuch  Life 
is  according  to  the  Nature  of  the  Will's  Conjunc- 
tion with  the  Underflanding  ;  But  on  this  Subjed 
fee  more  in  the  Treatife  above,  and  efpecially  iix 
The  Angelic  Wisdom  concerning  the  Di- 
vine Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,  in  Part 
the  Firft  and  Part  the  Fifth. 

194.  In  the  above  mentioned  Treatifes  it  is  alfo 
demgnftrated,  that  the  Life's  Love  produces  out  of 
itfelf  fubaltern  Loves,  which  are  called  Affe6lions, 
and  that  thefe  are  exterior  and  interior ;  and  that 
thefe  taken  together  make  as  it  v/ere  one  Dominion 
or  Kingdom,  in  which  the  Life's  Love  is  Lord  or 
King  :  Moreover  it  is  demonftrated,  that  thofe  fub- 
altern Loves  or  Affedions  adjoin  to  themfelves 
Conforts,  each  its  own^  the  interior  Afre»!^ions  Con- 
forts  which  are  called  Perceptions,  and  the  exterior 
Affedions  Conforts  which  are  called  Thoughts,  and 

that 


26o     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

that  each  cohabits  with  its  own  Confort,  and  dif- 
charges  the  Fundions  of  its  Life  ;  and  that  there 
is  fuch  a  Conjundion  of  both,  as  is  that  of  the.Ef- 
fence  CEfJ  of  Life  with  the  Exiftence  of  Life, 
which  is  fuch,  that  one  is  not  any  Thing,  but,  in 
Conjandion  with  the  other,  for  what  is  the  Eflence 
of  Life,  unlefs  it  exifts,  and  what  is  the  Exiftence 
of  Life  but  from  the  Elfence  of  Life  ?  AL^o,  that  the 
Conjundion  of  Life  is  fuch,  as  is  that  of  Sound  and 
Harmony,  hkewife  of  Sound  and  Speech,  in  gener- 
r..l  fuch  as  is  that  of  the  Pulfation  of  the  Heart  and 
the  Refpiration  of  the  Lungs  ;  w^hich  Conjundion 
is  fuch,  that  one  without  the  other  is  not  any  Thing, 
and  that  one  by  Conjunction  with  the  other  becomes 
Something  :  Conjunclions  mud  either  be  in  them., 
or  are  produced  by  them  :  As  for  Example,  in  the 
Cafe  of  Sound  ;  he  who  thinks  that  Sound  is  any 
Thing,  unlets  there  be  Something  in  it  which  dif. 
tinguifnes,  is  miftaken  :  Sound  alfo  correfponds  to 
Affedion  in  Man,  and  forafmuch  as  there  is  in  it 
ab.vavs  Something  which  didinguiflics,  therefore 
from  the  Sound  or  Tone  of  a  Man's  Voice  in  fpeak- 
jno-  is  known  the  AlTedion  of  his  Love,  and  from 
its  Variation,  which  is  Speech,  is  known  his 
Thought :  Hence  it  is,  that  the  wifer  Angels,  bare- 
ly from  the  Sound  or  I'one  of  Voice  of  him  v/ho 
fpeaks,  perceive  his  Life's  Loves,  together  with 
certain  Affedions  wdiich  are  Derivations.  1  hefe 
Things  are  adduced  in  Order  that  it  may  be  known, 
that  there  doth  not  exift  any  AlTedion  without  its 
Thought,  nor  any  Thought  without  its  Affedion  : 
But  more  may  be  feen  on  this  Subjed  above  in 
this  Treatife,  and  in  The  Angelic  Wisdom  con^ 

CERNING 


The  Divine  Providence.         261 

CERNING     THE    DiVINE    LoVE   AND    THE    DiVlNE 

Wisdom. 

195.  Now  forafmuch  as  the  Life*s  Love  hath  its 
Delight,  and  the  Wifdom  thereof  hath  its  Pleafant- 
nefs,  and  in  hke  Manner  every  Affedion,  which  in 
its  EfTence  is  a  fubaltern  Love  derived  from  the 
Life's  Lovej  as  a  Stream  from  its  Fountain,  or  as  a 
Branch  from  its  Tree,  or  as  an  Artery  from  its 
Heart,  therefore  every  AiTection  hath  its  DeUght, 
and  thence  every  Perception  and  Thought  its  Pleaf- 
antnefs  ;  hence  it  follows,  that  thofe  Delights  and 
PleafantnefTes  conftitute  the  Life  of  Man  :  What  is 
Life  without  its  Delight  and  Pleafantnefs  ?  It  is  not 
any  Thing  animated  but  inanimate  ;  diminifh  De- 
light and  Pleafantnefs,  and  you  will  grow  cold  or 
torpid  ;  take  them  away,  and  you  will  expire  and 
die  :*From  the  Delights  of  the  AiFedions,  and  the 
PleafantnefTes  of  the  Perceptions  and  Thoughts,  is 
derived  the  vital  Heat.  Since  every  Affetlion  hath 
its  Delight,  and  the  Thought  thence  derived  its 
Pleafantnefs,  it  is  evident  whence  Good  and  Truth 
is,  alfo  what  Good  and  Truth  are  in  their  Eflence  : 
Good  is  to  every  one  that  which  is  the  Delight  of 
his  Affection,  and  Truth  that  which  is  the  Pleafant- 
nefs of  his  Thought  derived  therefrom  :  For  every 
one  calleth  that  good,  which  from  the  Love  of  his 
Will  he  feeleth  delightful,  and  he  calleth  that  true, 
which  from  the  Wifdom  of  his  Underftanding  he 
perceiveth  pleafant  as  therein  grounded  :  They 
both  flow  from  the  Life's  Love,  as  Water  from  a 
Fountain,  or  as  Blood  from  the  Heart  :  Each  taken 
together  is  like  Tide  or  Atmcfphere,  in  which  the 
whole  human  Mind  dwells.     Thefe  two,  Delight 

and 


a62     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

and  Pleafantnefs,  in  the  Mind  are  fpirltual,  but  ia 
the  Body  they  are  natural  ;  as  exifting  in  both  they 
conftitute  the  Life  of  Man.  Hence  it  is  evident 
Tvhat  that  is  in  Man  which  is  called  good,  and  what 
that  which  is  called  true  :  Alfo,  what  that  is  which 
is  called  evil  in  Man,  and  what  that  which  is  called 
falfe,  namely,  that  is  evil  to  him,  which  deftroys 
the  Delight  of  his  AiTeOiion,  and  that  falfe,  which 
deftroys  the  Pleafantnefs  of  his  Thought  derived 
thence  ;  it  is  farther  evident,  that  Evil  from  the 
l)elight  thereof,  and  what  is  Falfe  from  the  Pleaf- 
antnefs thereof,  may  be  called  and  thought  good 
nnd  true.  Goods  and  Truths  are  indeed  Changes 
and  Variations  of  State  in  the  Forms  of  the  Mind, 
but  thefe  are  only  perceived  and  live  by  their  Dei 
lights  and  PleafantnefTes.  Thefe  Things  are  addu- 
ced, that  it  may  be  known  what  Affedion  and 
Thought  are  in  their  Life. 

196.  Now  whereas  it  is  the  Mind  of  Man  w^hich 
thinks,  and  thinks  from  the  Delight  of  its  Alfedion, 
and  not  the  Body  j  and  whereas  the  Mind  of  Man 
is  his  Spirit,  which  lives  after  Death,  it  follows,  that 
the  Spirit  of  Man  is  Nothing  but  Affedion  and 
Thought  therefrom  derived.  That  there  cannot 
exill:  any  Thought  without  AfFe£lion,  is  very  evident 
from  Spirits  and  Angels  in  the  fpiritual  World,  for 
all  there  think  from  the  Affections  of  their  Life's 
Love,  and  the  Delight  thereof  encompaffes .  every 
one,  as  his  Atmofphere  ;  and  all  are  connected  there 
according  to  thefe  Spheres  exhahng  from  their  Af- 
fedlons  through  their  Thoughts  :  ?4oreover  the 
Charader  and  (^ality  of  every  one  is  known  from 
ihe  Sphere  of  his  Life.     Hence  it  may  aopcar,  that 

all 


The  Divine  Providence.         263 

all  Thought  is  from  AfFe£lion,  and  that  it  is  the 
Form  of  its  AfFedlion.  It  is  the  fame  with  the  Will 
and  the  Underftanding  ;  the  fame  with  Good  and 
Truth  ;   and  the  fame  with  Charity  and  Faith. 

197.  U.  That  the  Affecliom  of  a  Man's  Life's 
Love  are  known  to  the  Lcrd  only,  Man  knows  Ixis 
Thoughts  and  thence  his  Intentions,  becaufe  he  fees 
them  in  himfelf ;  and  forafmuch  as  all  Prudence  is 
from  them,  he  fees  that  alfo  in  himfelf ;  in  this 
Cafe,  if  his  Life's  Love  is  the  Love  of  Self,  he 
comes  into  the  Pride  of  Self-derived  Intelligence, 
and  afcribes  Prudence  to  himfelf ;  and  colleds  Ar- 
guments in  Favour  ttiereof,  and  fo  recedes  from  the 
Acknowledgment  cf  the  Divine  Providence  :  The 
Cafe  is  fimilar,  if  the  Love  of  the  World  is  his  Life's 
Love  ;  yet  fuch  a  one  doth  not  recede  in  the  fame 
Degree  :  From  which  Confiderations  it  is  evident, 
that  thefe  two  Loves  afcribe  all  Things  to  Man  and 
his  Prudence  ;  and  if  they  are  examined  more  in- 
teriorly, Nothing  to  God  and  his  PrQvidence  : 
Wherefore  when  they  happen  to  hear,  that  the 
Truth  is,  that  human  Prudence  is  Nothing,  but 
that  it  is  the  Divine  Providence  alone,  which  gov- 
erns all  Things,  if  they  are  abfolute  Atheifts,  they 
laugh  at  it  y  but  if  they  retain  any  Thing  of  Relig- 
ion in  the  Memory,  and  it  is  affirmed  to  them,  that 
all  Wifdom  is  from  Cod,  they  do  indeed  at  firlt 
Hearing  acknowledge  it,  but  yet  inwardly  in  their 
Spirit  they  deny  it.  Such  particularly  are  Prieflis, 
who  love  themfelves  better  than  God,  and  the 
World  better  than  Heaven,  or  what  amounts  to 
the  fame  Thing,  who  worfhip  God  for  the  Sake  of 
Honours  and  Inrereft,  and  yet  preach  that  Charit/ 

and 


264    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

and  Faith,  every  Thing  good  and  true,  likewife  all 
Wifdom,  yea  all  Prudence,  are  from  God,  and 
Nothing  from  Man.  Once  in  the  fpiritual  World 
I  heard  two  Priefts  difputing  with  a  certain  royal 
Legale  [Legatus  Regnf]  concerning  human  Pru- 
dence, whether  it  be  from  God  or  from  Man,  and 
their  Difpute  was  w^arm  :  They  all  three  in  their 
Hearts  thought  alike,  namely,  that  human  Prudence 
does  every  I'hing,  and  the  Divine  Providence  Noth- 
ing :  But  the  Pi  it  lis,  who  were  then  under  the  In- 
fluence of  theological  Zeal,  faid,  that  Nothing  of 
Wifdom  and  Prudence  is  from  Man  ;  and  when. 
the  Legate  replied,  that  at  that  Rate  neither  would 
there  be  any  Thought  from  Man,  they  faid,  that 
there  was  none  :  But  forafmuch  as  it  was  perceived 
by  the  Angels,  that  thefe  three  were  of  the  fame 
Opinion,  the  Legate  was  told  to  put  on  the  Gar- 
ments of  a  Prieft,  and  think  himfelf  a  Prieft,  and 
then  to  fpeak  ;  accordingly  he  did  put  them  on^ 
and  thought  as  he  was  defired,  and  then  he  declar- 
ed loudly,  that  there  never  can  be  any  Wifdom  or 
Prudence  in  Man,  but  from  God,  and  defended 
himfelf  with  his  ufual  Eloquence,  full  of  rational 
Arguments  :  Afterwards  they  faid  to  the  two  Prieds 
alfo,  put  off  your  Garments  and  put  on  the  Gar- 
ments of  political  Minifters,  and  think  yourfelves 
fuch,  and  they  did  fo,  and  then  at  the  fame  Time 
thought  from  their  inner  Selves,  and  fpake  from. 
Arguments  which  they  had  before  cherifhed  in- 
wardly in  Favour  of  human  Prudence  againft  the 
Divine  Providence  :  Afterwards  thefe  three,  foraf- 
much as  they  were  in  a  fmiiiar  Faith,  became  inti- 
mate 


The  Divine  Providence.        26^, 

mate  Friends  [_Amici  Cordis,^  and  entered  together 
into  the  Path  of  Self-derived  Prudence,  which  leads 
toPIell." 

198.  It  was  nicwn  ahovc,  that  Man  hath  not  any 
Thought,  but  from  fome  Atiection  of  his  Life's 
Love,  and  that  Thought  Is  Nothing  elfe  but  the 
Form  of  Affeftion  :  Since  therefore  Man  fees  his 
Thought,  and  cannot  fee  his  Af[:e6llon,  for  the  lat- 
ter he  feels,  it  follows,  that  from  Sight,  which  is  in 
Appearance,  he  concludes  that  Self-derived  Pru- 
dence does  every  Thing  ;  and  not  from  AfTedlon, 
which  does  not  come  into  Sight,  but  into  Senfa- 
tion  :  For  Affeftion  only  manifelh  itfelf  by  a  cer- 
tain Delight  of  Thought,  and  Pleafure  of  Ratiocin- 
ation concerning  it,  and  then  this  Pleafure  and  De- 
light maketh  one  with  Thought  in  thofe,  who  have 
Faith  in  Self-derived  Prudence  from  the  Love  of 
Self  or  the  Love  of  the  World  ;  and  Thought  flows 
in  its  Delight  as  a  Ship  in  the  Current  of  a  River, 
to  which  the  Sailor  doth  not  attend,  but  only  to  the 
Sails  which  he  expands. 

199.  A  Man  can  indeed  reflect  upon  the  Delight 
of  his  external  Affection,  when  it  acl:s  as  one  with 
the  Delight  of  any  bodily  Senfe,  but  yet  he  does 
not  reflecl  that  that  Delight  is  from  the  Delight  of 
AifeQIon  in  Thought  :  As  for  Example,  when  a 
Fornicator  feeth  an  Harlot,  his  Eyes  fparkle  with  the 
Fire  of  Lafcivioufnefs,  and  from  it  he  feeleth  Delight 
in  the  Body,  but  yet  he  doth  not  feel  the  Delight  of 
his  Affection  or  Concupifcence  in  Thought,  but  as 
Something  of  Cupidity  in  the  Body  :  It  is  the  fame 
with  a  Robber  in  the  Woods  when  he  feeth  Travel- 
lers; and  a  Pirate  in  the  Sea  when  he  feeth  Ships ; 

K  K  the 


266    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

the  Cafe  is  fimilar  with  others  :  That  thefe  Delights 
govern  his  Thoughts,  and  that  his  Thoughts  are 
Nothing  without  them,  is  evident,  but  he  thinks 
that  they  are  only  Thoughts,  when  neverthelefs 
Thoughts  are  Nothing  but  AfFedions  compofed  in- 
to Forms  by  his  Life's  Love,  that  they  may  appear 
in  the  Light,  for  all  Affedion  is  in  Heat,  and  all 
Thought  in  Light.  Thefe  are  Affections  of  exter- 
nal Thought,  which  indeed  manifeft  themfelves  in 
the  Senfation  of  the  Body,  but  rarely  in  the  Thought 
of  the  Mind.  But  the  Affections  of  internal  Thought, 
from  which  the  external  exifl,  never  manifeft  them- 
felves to  a  Man  :  Of  thefe  a  Man  knows  no  more, 
than  a  Traveller  fleeping  in  a  Carriage  doth  of  his 
Journey,  or  than  a  Man  feels  the  Circumrotation  of 
the  Earth  :  Now  fmce  a  Man  knoweth  Nothing  of 
the  Things  which  are  tranfaded  in  the  Interiors  of 
his  Mind,  which  are  fo  infinite  that  they  cannot  be 
defined  by  Numbers,  and  yet  the  few  Externals, 
which  come  to  the  Sight  of  his  Thought,  are  pro- 
duced from  Interiors,  and  the  Interiors  are  regula- 
ted of  the  Lord  alone  by  his  Divine  Providence, 
and  thofe  few  Externals  by  the  Lord  in  Conjunc- 
tion with  Man  ;  how  then  can  any  one  fay,  that 
his  own  Prudence  does  every  Thing  ?  If  you  were 
only  to  fee  one  Idea  of  Thought  difclofed,  you 
would  fee  more  ftupendous  Things  than  Tongue 
can  utter.  That  in  the  Interiors  of  the  Mind  of 
Man  there  are  fuch  infinite  Things,  that  they  can- 
not be  defined  by  Numbers,  is  evident  from  the  in- 
finite Number  of  Things  in  the  Body,  from  which 
Nothing  comes  to  the  Sight  and  Senfe,  but  Adion 
alone  in  much  Simplicity,  to  which  neverthelefs 

'  >  concur 


The  Divine  PttoviDENCE.         267 

concur  Thoufands  of  moving  or  mufcular  Fibres, 

Thoufands  of  nervous  Fibres,  Thoufands  of  Blood- 

Veffels,  and  Thoufands  of  pulmonary  Air-Veflels, 

which    mull    needs    co-operate    in    every    A6lion, 

Thoufands  of  Things  in  the  Brains  and  in  the  fpinal 

Marrow,  and  many  more  ftill  in  the  fpiritual  Man, 

which  is  the  human  Mind,  all  the  Things  whereof 

are  Forms  of  AfFe6lions,  and  of  Perceptions  and 

Thoughts   thence    derived.      Doth   not   the    Soul 

which  difpofeth  Things  interior,  alfo  difpofe  Adlions 

by  Virtue  thereof  ?  The  Soul  of  Man  is  Nothing 

elfe  but  the  Love  of  his  Will,  and  the  Love  of  his 

Underftanding  thence  derived  j  fuch  as  this  Love 

is,  fuch  is  the  whole  Man  ;  and  he  is  made  fuch 

according  to  the  Difpofition  in  Externals  in  which 

Man  is  concerned  with  the  Lord  :  Wherefore  if  he 

attributes  all  Things  to  himfelf  and  to  Nature,  his 

Soul  becomes  the  Love  of  Self ;  but  if  he  attributes 

all  Things  to  the  Lord,  his  Soul  becomes  the  Love 

of  the  Lord  :    And  the  latter  Love   is  celeflial, 

whereas  the  former  is  infernal. 

200.  Now  forafmuch  as  the  Dfclights  of  Man's 
Affections  carry  a  Man  from  Intimates  [the  Thing! 
which  are  inmoft]  by  the  Interiors  to  the  Exteriors, 
and  at  length  to  the  Extremes,  which  are  in  the 
Body,  as  the  Airs  and  Currents  carry  a  Ship,  and 
Nothing  of  them  appears  to  Man,  but  what  is  done 
in  the  Extremes  of  the  Mind  and  the  Extremes  of 
the  Body,  how  then  can  Man  claim  to  himfelf  what 
is  Divine  from  this  Circumftance  alone,  that  thofe 
few  Extremes  appear  to  him  as  his  own  ?  Still  lefs 
ought  he  to  claim  to  himfelf  what  is  Divine,  when 
^e  knowxth  frc^m  Tiu  Word,  that  a  Man  cannot 

take 


c5S    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

take  any  Thing  from  himfelf,  except  it  be  given 
him  from  Heaven  ;  and  from  Reason,  that  that 
Appearance  is  given  him,  that  he  may  Hve  a  Man, 
fee  what  is  good  and  evil,  choofe  one  or  the  other, 
appropriate  to  himfelf  that  which  he  choofeth,  to  the 
Intent  there  may  be  a  PolTibility  of  his  being  joined 
reciprocally  to  the  Lord,  reformed,  regenerated, 
faved,  and  of  his  living  to  Eternity.  That  this  Ap* 
pearance  was  given  to  Man,  that  he  might  a£t  from 
Liberty  according  to  Reafon,  therefore  as  if  from 
himfeif,  and  not  hang  down  his  Hands  and  wait  for 
Influx,  was  faid  and  ihewn  above.  Hence  follows 
the  Confirmation  of  that  which  was  to  be  demon- 
itrated  Thirdly,  That  the  Affedions  of  the  Life's  Love 
of  Man  are  led  of  the  Lord  by  his  Divine  Providence^ 
and  in  fuch  Cafe  at  the  fame  Time  his  Thoughts^  from 
^vhich  human  Prudence  is  derived, 

20 1.  IV.  That  the  Lord  by  his  Divine  Providence 
compofeth  the  Affections  of  the  whole  Human  Race  in- 
io  one  Form^  which  is  the  Human,  That  this  is  an 
Univerfal  of  the  Divine  Providence,  will  be  feen  in 
the  fubfequent  Paragraph  ;  they  who  aicribe  all 
Things  to  Nature,  afcribe  all  Things  alfo  to  human 
Prudence  ;  for  they  who  afcribe  all  Things  to  Na- 
ture, in  their  Hearts  deny  God,  and  they  who 
afcribe  all  Things  to  human  Prudence,  deny  in  their 
Hearts  the  Divine  Providence  ;  one  is  n6t  feparable 
from  the  other.  But  yet  both  thefe  Sorts  of  Per- 
fons,  for  the  Sake  of  their  Reputation,  and  for  Fear 
of  lofmg  it,  profefs  with  their  Mouths,  that  the 
Divine  Piovidence  is  univerfal  or  general,  and  that 
the  Particulars  of  it  reft:  with  Man  [_fmt  apud  Homi- 
Yiem  /]  and  that  thefe  Particulars  in  their  Complete 


The  Divine  Providence.         269 

are  underftood  by  human  Prudence.  But  think 
with  yourfelf,  what  is  univerfal  (or  general)  Provi- 
dence, when  Singulars  (or  Particulars)  are  fepara* 
ted  from  it  ?  Is  it  any  Thing  more  than  a  bare 
Word  ?  For  that  is  called  univerfal,  which  is  form- 
ed of  Singulars  conneded  together,  as  that  is  com- 
mon (or  a  Community)  which  exifts  from  Particu- 
lars :  If  therefore  you  feparate  Singulars,  what  is 
the  Univerfal  in  fuch  Cafe,  but  like  Something 
which  is  empty  within,  confequently  like  a  Surface 
within  which  there  is  Nothing,  or  like  a  Complex 
containing  Nothing  ?  If  it  fhould  be  alleged,  that 
the  Divine  Providence  is  an  univerfal  Government,^ 
3nd  that  not  any  Thing  is  governed,  but  only  kept 
in  its  Connexion,  and  the  Things  which  relate  to 
Government  [_ilia  qua  Reg'minis  funf\  are  difpofed 
by  others,  can  this  be  called  an  univerfal  Govern- 
ment ?  No  King  hath  fuch  a  Government  as  this ; 
for  if  a  King  were  to  allow  his  Subjeds  to  govern 
every  Thing  in  his  Kingdom,  he  would  no  longer  be 
a  King,  but  would  only  be  called  a  King,  therefore 
would  have  only  a  nominal  Dignity  and  no  real 
Dignity :  Such  a  King  cannot  be  faid  to  hold  the 
Government,  much  lefs  univerfal  Government. 
Providence  with  God  is  called  Prudence  with  Man  ; 
;as  there  cannot  be  faid  to  be  univerfal  Prudence  in 
a  King,  who  hath  referved  to  himfelf  no  more  than 
the  Name  to  the  Intent  that  his  Kingdom  may  be 
called  a  Kingdom,  and  fo  kept  together  ;  fo  neither 
could  there  be  faid  to  be  an  univerfal  Providence, 
if  Men  from  their  own  Prudence  were  to  provide 
for  every  Thing,  It  is  the  fame  with  the  Name  of 
wniverfal  Providence,  and  of  univerfal  Government, 

as 


270    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

as  fpoken  in  Relation  to  Nature,  when  it  is  under- 
flood  that  God  created  Nature,  and  endued  her 
■with  a  Power  of  producing  all  Things  from  herfelf : 
What  is  univerfal  Providence  at  this  Rate,  but  a 
metaphyfical  Term,  or  a  mere  Sound  without  any 
Meaning  ?  Neither  do  many  of  thofe,  v/ho  attribute 
to  Nature  every  Thing  that  is  produced,  and  to  hu- 
man Prudence  every  Thing  that  is  done,  and  yet 
profefs  with  their  Mouths  that  God  created  Na- 
ture, think  othervvife  of  the  Divine  Providence  than 
as  of  an  empty  Sound.  But  the  Cafe  really  is,  that 
the  Divine  Providence  exifls  in  the  molt  minute 
Particulars  of  Nature,  and  in  the  moft  niinute 
Particulars  of  human  Prudence,  and  by  governing 
thefe  Particulars,  governs  univerfally. 

202.  The  Divine  Pro\idence  of  the  Lord  is  uni- 
verfal from  Things  the  moll  particular  in  this  Cir- 
cumftance,  that  he  created  the  Unlverfe,  to  the  End 
that  an  infinite  and  eternal  Creation  might  exift 
therein  from  Himfelf ;  and  this  Creation  exifls  by 
the  Lord's  forming  out  of  Men  a  Heaven,  which  is 
in  his  Sight  as  one  Man,  who  is  the  Image  and 
Likenefs  of  Himfelf :  That  Heaven,  as  formed  out 
of  Men,  is  fuch  in  the  Sight  of  the  Lord,  and  that 
this  was  the  End  of  Creation,  was  fhewn  above,  n. 
27  to  45  :  And  that  the  Divine  in  all  that  he  doeth, 
refpe£leth  Infinite  and  Eternal,  n.  ^6  to  69.  The 
Infinite  and  Eternal,  which  the  Lord  hath  Refped 
to  in  forming  his  Heaven  out  of  Men,  is,  that  it  may 
be  enlarged  to  Infinity  and  Eternity  ;  and  thus  that 
he  may  conftanily  dwell  in  the  End  of  his  Creation. 
This  Creation  is  infniite  and  eternal,  which  the  Lord 
.provided  by  the  Creation  of  the  Univerfe,  and  in  this 

Creation 


The  Divine  Providence, 


271 


Creation  he  is  conftantly  engaged  by  his  Divine 
Providence.  Who  that  knoweth  and  believeth  from 
the  Dodrine  of  the  Church,  that  God  is  infinite 
and  eternal,  (for  the  DoBrine  of  all  the  Churches  in 
the  Chrijilan  World  holds ^  that  God  the  Father^  God 
the  So7t,  and  God  the  Holy  Ghofi,  is  Infinite^  Eternal^ 
Uncreate^  and  Onmipotcnt ;  fee  Athanafius* s  Creed) 
can  be  fo  void  of  Reafon  as  not  to  afient,  when  he 
heareth,  that  God  cannot  do  otherwife  than  refped: 
Infinity  and  Eternity  in  his  great  Work  of  Creation, 
(for  how  can  he  aO:  otherwife  when  he  a6ls  froiu 
Hinifelf)  as  alfo  that  he  refpe^teth  this  in  the  hu- 
man Race,  out  of  which  he  fonneth  his  own  Heav- 
en ?  W^hat  eh'e  then  can  the  Divine  Providence  have 
for  its  End,  but  the  Reformation  and  Salvation  of 
the  human  Race  ?  And  no  one  can  be  reformed  of 
himfelf  by  his  own  Prudence,  but  of  the  Lord  by 
his  Divine  Providence  ;  hence  it  follows,  that  except 
the  Lord  leads  Man  every  Moment,  yea  every  the 
moft  minute  Point  of  Time,  Man  departs  from  the 
Way  of  Reform.ation,  and  perifneth  :  Every  Change 
and  Variation  of  State  of  the  human  Mind  changes 
and  varies  Something  in  the  Series  of  Things  pref- 
ent,  and  thereby  of  Things  confequent ;  what  then 
mud  it  not  do  in  the  Progreirion  to  Eternity  ?  It  is 
like  an  Arrow  (hot  from  a  Bow,  w'hich,  if  its  Direc- 
tion at  firfl  declines  ever  fo  little  from  the  Mark,  at 
the  Diftance  of  a  Mile  or  more,  would  diverge  im- 
menfely  ;  fo  it  would  be  if  the  Lord,  every  the  lead 
Moment,  did  not  lead  and  govern  the  State  of  hu- 
man Minds.  This  the  Lord  doeth  according  to  the 
Laws  of  his  Divine  Providence  ;  agreeable  to  which 
it  is  alfo  necelTary,  that  it  fhould  appear  to  Man  a$ 


272     Angelic  Wisdom  goncernino 

if  he  led  himfelf ;  but  the  Lord  forefeeth  how  he 
will  lead  (or  guide)  himfelf,  and  conftantly  provides 
accordingly.  That  the  Laws  of  PermifTion  are  al- 
fo  Laws  of  the  Divine  Providence  ^  and  that  every 
Man  may  be  reformed  and  regenerated ;  and  thaC 
there  doth  not  exift  any  fuch  Thing  as  Predeftina- 
tion,  will  be  feen  in  what  follows. 

203.  Since  every  Man  therefore  lives  after  Death 
to  Eternity,  and  according  to  his  Life  here  hath  his 
Place  aifigned  to  him  either  in  Heaven  or  in  Hell, 
and  both  thefe,  as  well  Heaven  as  Hell,  mull  be  in 
fuch  a  Form  as  to  ad  as  one,  as  was  faid  before ; 
and  no  one  can  occupy  any  other  Place  in  that 
Form,  but  his  own,  it  follows,  that  the  human 
Race  throughout  the  w^hole  World  is  under  the 
Aufpices  of  the  Lord,  and  that  every  one,  from  his 
Infancy  even  to  the  end  of  his  Life,  is  led  of  Him 
in  the  mofl  minute  Particulars,  and  his  Place  fore- 
feen,  and  at  the  fame  Time  provided.  From  which 
Confiderations  it  is  evident,  that  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence of  the  Lord  is  univerfal,  becaufe  it  governs 
in  the  mofl  minute  Particulars ;  and  that  this  is  the 
infinite  and  eternal  Creation  which  the  Lord  hath 
provided  for  Himfelf  by  the  Creation  of  the  Uni« 
verfe.  Of  this  univerfal  Providence  Man  doth  not 
fee  any  Thing,  .and  if  he  did,  it  could  not  appear  to 
him  any  otherwife  than  as  fcattered  Heaps  and 
Colledions  of  Materials,  out  of  which  a  Houfe  is  to 
be  formed,  appear  to  thofe  who  pafs  by  ;  but  by 
the  Lord  it  is  feen  as  a  magnificent  Palace  conftant- 
ly building  and  enlarging. 

204.  V.  That  Heaven  and  Hell  are  In  fuch  a 
For??u     That  Heaven  is  in  a  human  Form,  hath 

been 


The  Divine  Providence, 


73 


been  made  known  in  the  Work  concerning  Heav- 
en AND  Hell,  publiihed  in  London,  1758,  n.  59 
to  102  ;  and  aifo  in  the  Treatife  concerning  The 
Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom  ;  and 
likewife  in  fome  Parts  of  thivS  Treatife  5  wherefore 
it  is  unneceflary  to  give  it  further  Confirmation. 
It  is  faid  that  Hell  alfo  is  in  a  human  Form,  but  it 
is  in  a  monftrous  human  Form,  fuch  as  is  that  of 
the  Devil,  by  whom  is  meant  Hell  in  its  whole 
Complex  ;  It  is  in  a  human  Form,  becaufe  they 
alfo,  who  are  there,  were  born  Men,  and  have 
moreover  thofe  two  human  Faculties,  which  are 
called  Liberty  and  Rationality,  although  they  have 
abufed  their  Liberty  to  will  and  do  evil,  and  their 
Rationality  to  think  and  confirm  it. 

^05.  VI,  That  they  who  have  acknowledged  Na^ 
iiire  alone,  and  human  Prudence  alone,  conjiitute  Helly 
and  they  who  have  acknowledged  God  and  his  Divine 
Providence,  conjiitute  Heaven,  All  they,  who  lead 
an  evil  Life,  interiorly  acknowledge  Nature,  and  hu- 
man Prudence  alone,  for  fuch  Acknowledgment  lies 
inwardly  concealed  in  all  Evil,  howfoever  it  may  be 
cloathed  and  hid  under  Things  good  and  true  ; 
thefe  are  only  borrowed  Garments,  or  like  Decora- 
tions of  Flowers,  which  perifli,  flrewed  over  Evil 
left  it  fliould  appear  in  its  Nakednefs.  That  all  who 
lead  an  evil  Life,  interiorly  acknowledge  Nature,  and 
human  Prudence  alone,  is  not  known  by  Reafon  of 
the  above  common  Covering,  whereby  it  is  hid  from 
View ;  but  that  they  do  neverthelefs  acknowledge 
them,  may  appear  from  the  Origin  and  Caufe  of 
fuch  Acknowledgment,  in  Order  to  the  Difcovery 
of  which  it  may  be  expedient  to  explain  whence 
L  L  and 


274    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

and  what  Self-derived  Prudence  is  ;  then  whence 
and  what  the  Divine  Providence  is  ;  afterwards  who 
and  what  Kind  of  Perfons  they  are  who  favour  the 
latter,  and  alfo  who  favour  the  former  ;  and  laft- 
ly,  that  they  who  acknowledge  the  Divine  Prov- 
idence are  in  Heaven,  and  they  who  acknowledge 
Self-derived  Prudence,  are  in  Hell. 

206.  Whence  and  what  Self-derived  Prudence 
is  ;  it  is  from  the  Proprium  of  Man,  which  is  his 
Nature,  and  is  called  his  Soul  derived  from  the  Par- 
ent ;  this  Proprium  is  the  Love  of  Self,  and  the 
Love  of  the  World  thence  derived,  or  the  Love  of 
the  World,  and  the  Love  of  Self  thence  derived  : 
The  Love  of  Self  is  fuch,  that  it  refpeds  itfelf  only, 
and  others  either  as  vile,  or  of  no  Account ;  or  if 
it  does  refpeci  any  Perfon  or  Thing,  it  is  only  fo  long 
as  they  honour  and  worfhip  itfelf;  intimately  in 
that  Love,  jufl  like  the  Effort  in  a  Seed  to  frudify 
and  propagate,  there  lieth  hid  a  Defire  to  become 
great,  and  if  polTible,  to  be  made  a  King,  and  then 
if  pofiible,  to  be  deihed  :  Such  is  the  Devil,  becaufe 
he  is  the  very  Love  of  Self,  and  is  fuch  that  he 
adores  himfelf,  and  does  not  favour  any  one  who 
doth  not  alfo  adore  him  ;  another  Devil  like  him- 
felf he  hates,  becaufe  he  willieth  to  be  adored  alone. 
Forafmuch  as  no  Love  can  exifl  without  its  Con- 
fort,  and  the  Confort  of  Love  or  of  the  Will  in 
Man  is  called  the  Underflanding ;  w^hen  the  Love 
of  Self  infpires  its  Love  into  the  Underflanding  its 
Confort,  it  there  becomes  Conceit,  which  is  the 
Conceit  of  Self-derived  Intelligence,  from  which 
Self-derived  Prudence  proceeds.  Now  forafmuch 
as  the  Love  of  Self  defires  to  be  fole  Lord  of  the 

World, 


The  Divine  Providence.         275 

World,  confequently  a  God,  therefore  the  Goncu- 
pifcences   of  Evil,  ^\/hich  are  Derivations  thence, 
have  Life  in  themfelves  from  it,  as  have  alfo  the 
Perceptions  of  Goncupifcences,  which  are  all  Sorts 
of  Craft  and  Cunning  ;  in  like  Manner  alfo  have 
the  Delights  of  Goncupifcences   which   are  Evils, 
and  their  Thoughts  which  are  Falfes :  They  are  all 
like  Servants  and  Miniilers  of  their  Lord,  and  aft  at 
his  Pieafure,  not  knovving  that  they  do  not  a£t,  but 
are  acted  upon,  for  they  are  acled  upon  by  the  Love 
of  Self  through  the  Conceit  of  Self-derived  Intelli- 
gence :  Hence  it  is,  that  in  every  Evil,  by  Virtue  of 
its   Origin,    Self-derived  Prudence  lies   concealed. 
The   Reafon  why  an  Acknowledgment  of  Nature 
alone  alfo  lies  concealed  therein,  is,  becaufe  Sclf- 
Love  hath  clofed  up  the  Sky-Light  of  its  Houfe, 
(Feiiejlram  Tedi  fui)  by  wdiich  there  is   an  open 
Communication  with  Heaven,    and  alfo   the   Side 
Windows,  led  it  fliould  fee  and  hear  that  the  Lord 
alone  governeth  all  Things,  and  that  Nature  in  her- 
felf  is  void  of  Life,  and  that  the  Proprium  of  Man  is 
Hell,  and  confequently  that  the  Love  of  the  Propri- 
um is  the  Devil ;  and  then  having  fhut  the  Win- 
dows it  is  in  the  Dark,  and  there  maketh  a  Fire  for 
itfelf,  by  which  it  fitteth  down  with  its  Confort,  and 
they  reafon  like  Friends,  in  Favour  of  Nature  againfl 
God,  and  In  Favour  of  Sejf-derived  Prudence  againfl 
the  Divine  Providence. 

207.  Whence  and  what  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence Is  ;  it  is  the  Divine  Operation  in  the  Man, 
who  removeth  the  Love  of  Self;  for  Self-Love,  as 
was  faid,  is  the  Devil,  and  Goncupifcences  and  their 
Delights  are  the  Evils  of  his  Kingdom,  which  is  Hell ; 

thefc 


ayS    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

thefe  being  removed,  the  Lord  entereth  with  Affec- 
tions of  neighbourly  Love,  and  openeth  the  Sky- 
Light  of  Man's  Houfe,  and  then  his  Side  Windows, 
and  caufeth  him  to  fee  that  there  is  a  Heaven,  and 
a  Life  after  Death,  and  everlafling  Happinefs  ;  and 
by  Means  of  the  fpiritual  Light  and  fpiritual  Love 
at  the  fame  Time  in  this  Cafe,  flowing  in,  caufeth 
him  to  acknowledge,  that  God  by  his  Divine  Prov- 
idence governeth  all  Things. 

208,  Who  and-  what  Kind  of  P  erf  oris  they  are 
'who  favour  the  latter,  and  alfo  who  favour  the  former: 
They  who  acknowledge  God,  and  his  Divine  Provi- 
dence, are  like  the  Angels  of  Heaven,  who  diflike 
to  be  led  of  themfelves,  and  love  to  be  led  of  the 
Lord  ;  a  Sign  that  they  are  led  of  the  Lord,  is,  that 
they  love  their  Neighbour.  But  they  who  ac- 
knowledge ISIature  and  their  own  Prudence,  are 
like  infernal  Spirits,  who  diilike  to  be  led  of  the 
Lord,  and  love  to  be  led  of  themfelves  :  Thefe,  if 
they  be  Perfons  of  Diliindion  in  a  Kingdom,  de- 
fire  to  have  Dominion  in  all  Things :  So  alfo  if  they 
be  Primates  of  the  Church  :  If  they  are  Judges, 
they  pervert  Judgment,  andexercife  Dominion  over 
the  Laws :  If  they  are  Men  of  Learning,  they  ap. 
ply  Scientifics  to  confirm  the  Proprium  of  Man  and 
Nature  :  If  they  are  Merchants,  they  act  as  Thieves : 
If  Hufbandmen,  as  Robbers.  They  are  all  En- 
emies of  God,  and  Deriders  of  the  Divine  Provi* 
dence, 

209.  It  is  wonderful,  that  when  Heaven  i$  open- 
ed to  fuch,  and  they  are  told  they  are  mad,  and  it 
is  alfo  made  manifell  to  their  Perception  that  they 
are  fo,  which  is  done  by  Influx  and  Illumination^ 

flill 


The  Divine  Providence.         277 

ftill  out  of  Indignation  they  fliut  Heaven  againft 
themfelves,  and  look  down  to  the  Earth,  which  is 
over  Hell  :  This  is  the  Cafe  with  fuch  of  them  in 
the  fpiritual  World,  as  are  Hill  out  of  Hell,  and  yet 
of  fuch  a  Difpofition  ;  from  which  Circumftance  is 
evidenced  the  Error  pf  thofe  who  think,  if  1  were 
to  fee  Heaven-,  and  hear  the  Angels  fpeak  to  me,  I 
fliould  acknowledge  ;  but  their  Underftanding  does 
acknowledge,  yet  if  their  "Will  does  not  at  the  fame 
Time,  they  do  not  acknowledge  notwithftanding  ; 
for  the  Love  of  the  Will  infpires  (or  infufes)  into 
the  Underftanding  whatfoever  it  choofes,  and  not 
vice  verfa^  yea  it  obliterates  every  Thing  in  the 
Underftanding  which  is  not  from  itfelf. 

210.  VII.  That  all  ihefe  Things  cannot  be  effed- 
ed^  imlefs  it  appears  to  Man  that  be  ihinketh  and  difpo- 
fcth  from  himfelf.  That  in  Cafe  it  did  not  appear  to 
Man,  as  if  he  lived  from  himfelf,  and  thus  thought 
and  willed,  fpake  and  adedas  from  himfelf,  Man 
would  not  be  Man,  is  fully  demonftrated  in  the  pre- 
ceding Pages  :  Hence  it  follows,  that  if  Man  doth 
not  difpofe,  as  if  from  his  own  Prudence,  all  Things 
appertaining  to  his  Fundion  and  Life,  he  cannot  be 
guided  and  regulated  by  the  Divine  Providence ; 
for  he  would  be  like  one  ftanding  with  his  Hands 
hanging  down,  his  Mouth  open,  his  Eyes  fliut,  arxd 
his  Breath  in  drawn,  in  Expectation  of  Infiux,  there- 
fore he  would  diveft  himfelf  of  Humanity,  which 
confifts  in  the  Perception  and  Senfation,  that  he 
lives,  thinks,  wills,  fpeaks,  and  acls  as  if  from  him- 
felf; and  at  the  fame  Time  he  would  diveft  himfelf 
of  his  two  Faculties,  Liberty  and  Ratioiiahty,  where- 
by he  is  diftinguiftied  from  Bcafts  :  That  without 

fuch 


2yS    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

fuch  Appearance  no  Man  would  pofTefs  the  Recep- 
tive and  the  Reciprocal  Principle,  or  Recipiency  and 
Reciprocality,  and  therefore  neither  Immortality,  is 
demonflrated  above  in  this  Treatife,  and  alfo  in  that 
on  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom. 
Therefore  if  you  defire  to  be  led  of  the  Divine  Prov- 
idence, ufe  Pru'dence,  as  a  Servant  and  Minifter, 
who  may  faithfully  difpenfe  the  Goods  of  his  Maf- 
ter  :  Such  Prudence  is  the  Talent,  which  was  given 
to  the  Servants  to  traffic  with,  of  which  they  are  to 
give  an  Account,  Luke  xix.  13  to  25.  Matth.  xxv. 
14  to  31.  Prudence  itfelf  appears  to  Man  as  his 
own,  and  it  is  believed  to  be  his  own,  fo  long  as  a 
Man  keeps  fliut  up  within  himfelf  that  moil  inveter- 
ate Enemy  of  God  and  the  Divine  Providence, 
which  is  Self-Love,  who  dwells  in  the  Interiors  of 
every  Man  from  his  Birth  ;  if  you  do  not  know 
him,  for  he  defires  not  to  be  known,  he  dwells  fe- 
curely,  and  guards  the- Door,  left:  it  iliould  be  open- 
ed, and  fo  he  fnould  be  caft:  out  by  the  Lord.  That 
Door  is  opened  by  Man,  by  fliunning  Evils  as  Sins 
as  if  from  himfelf,  with  an  Acknowledgment  that 
he  doeth  fo  from  the  Lord.  It  is  this  Prudence 
with  v^hich  the  Divine  Providence  ads  as  one. 

211.  The  Reafon  why  the  Divine  Providence 
operates  fo  occultly,  .that  fcarce  any  one  knowcth 
that  it  exift:s,  is,  that  P4an  may  not  perifh ;  for  the 
Proprium  of  Man,  which  is  his  Will,  never  ads  as 
one  with  the  Divine  Providence  ;  the  Proprium  of 
Man  hath  an  innate  Enmity  againft;  it ;  for  it  is  that 
Serpent  which  feduced  our  firft  Parents,  of  which  it 
is  written,  "  /  wi/I  put  E?imity  betiveen  thee  and  the 
Woman^  and  beiiveen  ihy  Seed  and  her  Seed^  it  f,: all 

bru'ife 


The  Divine  Providence. 


279 


hriilfe  thy  Hcad^^  Gen.  III.  15;  the  Serpent  Is  Evil 
of  every  Kind  ;  his  Head  is  Self-Love  ;  the  Seed  of 
the  Woman  is  the  Lord  ;  the  Enmity  put  between 
them  is  between  Man's  Self-Love  and  the  Lord, 
therefore  alfo  between  the  Seh^'-derived  Prudence  of 
Man  and  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord  ;  for 
Self-derived  Prudence  is  continually  lifting  up  its 
Head,  and  the  Divine  Providence  is  continually 
keeping  it  down.  If  Man  felt  this,  he  would  be  en- 
raged and  exafperated  againfl  God,  and  would  per- 
iih  ;  but  while  he  doth  not  feel  or  perceive  it,  he 
may  be  enraged  and  exafperated  againfl  Men,  and 
againd  himfelf,  and  likewifc  againll  Fortune,  by 
which  he  doth  not  perlfh.  Elence  it  is,  that  the 
Lord  by  his  Divine  Providence  continually  leads 
Man  in  Freedom,  and  when  he  is  led  in  Freedom, 
it  appears  no  otherwife  to  Man  than  that  he  is  led 
by  his  own  Proprium  ;  and  to  lead  in  Freedom 
one  who  Is  in  Oppofition  to  him  that  leads,  is  like 
raifmg  from  the  Earth  a  great  refifling  Weight  by 
PuUies,  by  which  Means  the  Weight  and  Refiii- 
ance  is  not  felt :  Or  as  when  any  one  is  in  the 
Power  of  an  Enemy,  whofe  Intention  is  to  put  him 
to  Death,  which  he  then  doth  not  know,  and  a 
Friend  condudeth  his  Efcape  through  unknown 
Ways,  and  afterwards  difcovers  to  him  the  Ene- 
my's Intention. 

212.  Who  doth  not  talk  of  Fortune,  and  who 
doth  not  acknowledge  her,  becaufe  he  talks  of  her, 
and  becaufe  he  knows  Something  of  her  by  Experi- 
ence ?  But  who  knoweth  what  fhe  is  ?  That  flie  is 
Something,  becaufe  there  is  and  does  exifl  fuch  a 
Thing,  cannot  be  denied  \  and  Nothing  can  be  and, 

exifl 


28o   Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

exift  without  a  Caufe  ;  but  the  Caufe  of  this  Some^ 
thing  or  of  Fortune  is  not  known  j  yet  left  it  fhould 
be  denied,  merely  by  Reafon  that  the  Caufe  is  not 
known,  lake  Dice,  or  Cards,  and  play  with  them^ 
or  confult  Players,  which  of  them  denies  Fortune^ 
for  they  play  with  her  and  ihe  with  them  in  a  won- 
derful Manner  ;  who  can  oppofe  her,  if  fhe  is  obfti* 
nate  ?  Doth  Ihe  not  in  fuch  Cafe  make  a  Jeft  of 
Prudence  and  Wifdom  ?  When  you  throw  the  Dice 
and  fhuffle  the  Cards,  doth  it  not  feem  as  if  fhe 
knew  and  difpofed  the  Evolutions  and  Motions  of 
the  Hands,  to  favour  one  more  than  another  from 
fome  certain  Caufe  ?  Can  this  Caufe  exift  from  any 
other  Source,  than  the  Divine  Providence  in  Ulti- 
mates,  where  by  Conftancies  and  Inconftancies  it 
deals  wonderfully  with  human  Prudence,  and  at 
the  fame  Time  conceals  itfelf.  That  the  Gentiles 
formerly  acknowledged  Fortune,  and  that  they  of 
Italy  alfo  built  a  Temple  for  her  at  Rome,  is  well 
known.  Concerning  this  Fortune,  which  is,  as 
was  faid,  the  Divine  Providence  in  Ultimates,  it 
hath  been  given  to  know  many  Things,  which  it  is 
not  permitted  to  reveal ;  from  which  it  w-as  evi- 
denced to  me,  that  it  is  not  an  Illufion  of  the 
Mind,  nor  a  Sporting  of  Nature,  nor  Something 
without  a  Caufe,  for  Something  without  a  Caufe  is 
not  any  Thing,  but  that  it  is  an  ocular  Teftification, 
that  the  Divine  Providence  operates  in  the  moft: 
minute  Particulars  of  the  Thoughts  and  Adions  of 
Man.  When  the  Divine  Providence  operates  in 
the  fmalleft  Particulars  of  Matters  fo  mean  and 
trifling,  what  muft  it  not  do  in  the  Particulars  of 
Things  not  mean  and  trifling,  fuch  as  is  the  Bufmefs 

of 


The  Divine  Prcvidlnce.         281 

of  Peace  and  War  upon  Earth,  and  the  Bufinefs  of 
Salvation  and  everlading  Life  in  Heaven  ! 

213.  Sdt  i  know,  that  human  l^rudcnce  bringeth 
over  the  Rational  (Faculty)  to  Tide  with  it,  more 
than  the  Divine  Providence,  by  Reafon  that  the 
latter  doth  not  appear,  and  the  former  does  :  It  can 
jiiore  eafily  be  received,  that  there  is  one  fole  Life, 
which  is  God,  and  that  all  Men  arc  Pvccipients  of 
Life  from  Him,  as  was  abundaruiy  (hewn  before, 
and  neverthelefs  this  amounts  to  the  fame  Thing, 
becaufe  Prudence  is  of  Life.  Who  doth  not  rea- 
fon  for  human  Prudence  and  Nature,  when  he  rea- 
fons  from  the  natural  or  external  Man  ?  Whereas 
who  doth  not  reafon  in  Favour  of  the  Divine  Prov- 
idence and  of  God,  when  he  reafons  from  the  fpir- 
itual  or  internal  Man  ?  But  write,  I  pray  you,  two 
Books,  (I  fpeak  this  to  the  natural  Man)  one  in 
Favour  of  Self-derived  Prudence,  and  another  in 
Favour  of  Nature,  and  fill  them  with  plaufible, 
probable,  and  likely  Arguments,  fuch  as  in  your 
Opinion  are  folid,  and  when  you  have  done,  put 
them  into  the  Hand  of  any  Angei,  and  I  know 
very  well,  that  he  will  write  under  them  thcfe  few  _ 
Words,  They  are  all  Appearances  and  Fallacies. 


INI  M  That 


282     Angelic  Wisdom  concernino 


That  the  Divine  Providence  hath  ReJpeH 
to  Things  eternal^  and  no  otherwije  to 
temporary  Things^  than  Jo  far  as  they 
accord  zvith  Things  eternal. 

214, ''  I  ^HAT  the  Divine  Providence  hath  Re- 
i  fped  to  Things  eternal,  and  no  other- 
wife  to  temporary  Things  than  fo  far  as  they  accord 
with  Things  eternal,  or  make  one  with  them,  fhall 
be  demonftrated  in  the  following  Order.  I.  That 
temporary  Things  relate  to  Dignities  and  Rich- 
es, therefore  to  Honours  and  Emoluments  in  this 
World.  II.  That  Things  eternal  relate  to  fpirttual 
Honours  and  Riches,  which  are  of  Love  and  Wif- 
dom,  in  Heaven.  III.  That  Things  temporary  and 
eternal  are  feparated  by  Man,  but  joined  by  the 
Lord.  IV.  That  the  Conjunclion  of  Things  tem- 
porary and  eternal  is  the  Divine  Providence  of  the 
Lord. 

215.  I.  That  temporaj'y  Things  relate  id  Dignities 
and  Richesy  therefore  to  Honours  and  Emohwients  in 
this  World.  There  are  many  temporary  Things, 
but  yet  they  all  relate  to  Dignities  and  Riches  ;  by 
temporary  Things  are  meant  thofe  Things  which 
either  periih  with  Time,  or  ceafe  with  the  Life  of 
Man  in  this  World  only  ;  _  but  by  Things  eternal  are 
meant  the  Things,  which  do  not  perifh  and  ceafe 
with  Time,  therefore  not  with  the  Life  in  this 
World.  Forafmuch  as  all  temporary  Things,  as 
was  obferved,  have  Relation  to  Dignities  and  Rich- 

esj 


The  Divine  Providence.        -283 

es,  It  Is  of  Importance  that  the  following  Points 
fliould  be  underftood,  namely,  What  and  whence 
Dignities  and  Riches  are  :    What  is  the  Nature  of 
the  Love  of  them  for  their  own  Sake,  and  what  the 
Nature  of  the  Love  of  them  for  the  Sake  of  Ufe  : 
That  thefe  two  Loves  are  diftind  from  each  other, 
as  Hell  is  from  Heaven  :  That  the  Difference  be- 
tween thefe  Loves  is  difficult  to  be  known  b}'  Man  : 
But  of  each  of  thefe  diRinclIy.     First  :    Wb^i  and 
'whence  Dignities   and  Riches  are  :    Dignities    and 
Riches  were  totally  different  in  the  carlied  Ages, 
from  what  they  afterwards  became  in  Procefs  of 
Time  :    Dignities  in  the  moff  ancient  or  earliefl 
Ages  were  no  other,  than  fuch  as  take  Place  among 
Parents  and  their  Children,  which  Dignities  were 
Dignities  of  Love,  full  of  Rcfpe^l  and  Veneration, 
not  becaufe  they  received  Birth,  but  Inftruclion  and 
Wifdom  from  them,  which  is  a  fecond  Birth,  in  it- 
felf  fpiritual,  becaufe  it  was  the  Birth  of  their  Spirit : 
This  was  the  only  Dignity  in  the  earliefl  Ages,  be- 
caufe then  Nations,  Families,  and  Houfes,  dwelt 
Separately,  and  were  not  formed  into  Kingdoms  as 
in  modern  Times  ;  It  was  the  Father  of  the  Family 
in  whom  that  Dignity  refided  :  Thofe  Times  were 
called  by  the  Ancients  the  golden  Age.      But  after 
thofe  Times  the  Love  of  governing,  from  the  fole 
Delight  of  that  Love,  fucceffively  crept  in  ;    and 
forafmuch  as   Enmity  and   Hoftility  againfl  thofe 
who  would  not  fubmit,    introduced  themfelves  at 
the  fame  Time,  therefore  Nations,  Families,  and 
Houfes,  from  Neceffity  collected  themfelves  into  So- 
cieties [C(£iiis^']  and  fet  over  themfelves  one,  whom 
U  firfl  they  called  a  Judge,  afterwards  a  Prince, 

'and 


284     Akgelic  Wisdom  concerning 

and  laflly  a  King  and  an  Emperor  :  And  then  they 
began  alio  to  fortify  themfeives  in  Towers,  Bul- 
warks, and  Wails.  From  the  Judge,  Prince,  King, 
or  Emperor,  was  diftufed,  as  from  the  Head  thrdugh 
the  Body,  a  Luil  of  Dominion,  which  fpread  itfelf 
like  a  Contagion  among  many,  and  fiience  arofe 
Degrees  of  Dignities,  and  Honours  conformable  to 
them  ;  and  with  them  Self-Love,  and  the  Pride  of 
Self-derived  Prudence.  Similar  was  the  Cafe  with 
the  Love  of  Riches :  In  the  mod  ancient  or  earliefl 
Ages,  when  Nations  and  Families  dwelt  diflindly 
from  each  other,  there  was  no  other  Love  of  Rich- 
es than  to  pofiefs  the  Neceifaries  of  Life,  which  they 
procured  for  themfeives  by  Flocks  and  Herds,  and 
by  Fields,  Paftures,  and  Gardens,  from  which  they 
derived  Subfiftence  :  Among  thdr  NecefTaries  of 
Life  were  alfo  reckoned  decent  Houfes,  furniflied 
with  all  Kinds  of  Utenfils,  and  iikewife  Cloathing  : 
The  Care  and  Management  of  all  thefe  Things  was 
the  Occupation  of  the  Parents,  Children,  Men-Ser- 
vants,  and  Maid-Servants  in  the  Houfe,  But  after 
that  the  Love  of  Dominion  began  to  prevail,  and 
deftroyed  this  State  of  Society,  the  Love  of  poflef- 
fmg  Wealth  beyond  their  NeceiTities  invaded  Pvlan- 
kind,  and  grew  to  fuch  a  Height,  as  to  produce  a 
Defire  of  pofieffing  the  Wealth  of  all.  Thefe  tv/o 
Loves  are  as  it  were  connefted  by  Confanguinity, 
for  he  who  defireth  to  rule  over  every  Thing,  defi- 
reth  alfo  to  pofiefs  every  Thing,  for  thus  all  Things 
become  his  Servants,  and  he  their  fole  Lord  and 
Mailer  :  This  is  evidently  inftanced  in  thofe  of  the 
Poplfn  Religion,  who  have  exalted  their  Dominion 
even  into  Heav-en,  to  the  Throne  of  the  Lord,  upon 

which 


The  Divine  Providence.         285 

which  they  have  placed  themfelves,  and  who  alfo 
covet  the  Riches  of  the  whole  Earth,  and  amafs 
Treafures  without  End.  Secondly  :  What  is  ihe 
Nature  of  the  Love  of  Dignities  and  Riches  for  their 
Diun  Sake  ;  and  what  the  Nature  of  the  Love  of  them 
for  ihe  Sake  of  Ufe  :  The  Love  of  Dignities  and 
Honours,  for  the  Sake  of  Dignities  and  Honours, 
is  the  Love  of  Self,  properly  the  Love  of  Dominion 
grounded  in  the  Love  of  Self  ;  and  the  Love  of 
Riches  and  PofTeiTions,  for  the  Sake  of  Riches  and 
PofTelTions,  is  the  Love  of  the  World,  properly  the 
Love  of  poflefTing  the  Goods  of  others  by  any  Art 
whatfoever  :  But  the  Love  of  Dignities  and  Riches, 
for  the  Sake  of  Ufes,  is  the  Love  of  Ufes,  which  is 
the  fame  with  the  Love  of  our  Neij^hbour,  for  tiiat 
which  is  the  Ground  of  Man's  Action,  or  for  the 
Sake  of  which  he  ads,  is  his  influencing  End, 
^Finis  a  quo,2  ^nd  is  firfl  or  primary,  and  other 
Things  are  Means,  and  are  fecondary.  With  Re- 
fped  to  the  Love  of  Dignities  and  Honours  for 
their  own  Sakes,  which  is  the  fame  as  Self-Love, 
properly  with  the  Love  of  Dominion  from  the  Love 
of  Self,  it  is  the  Love  of  Man's  Proprium,  and  the 
Proprium  of  Man  is  all  Evil ;  hence  it  is  that  Man 
is  faid  to  be  born  to  all  Evil,  and  that  his  hereditary 
[Difpofition]  is  Nothing  but  Evil ;  the  hereditary 
[Difpofition]  of  Man  is  his  Proprium,  in  which  he 
is,  and  into  which  he  comes  by  Self-Love,  and  prin- 
cipally by  the  Love  of  Dominion  grounded  in  the 
Love  of  Self;  for  the  Man  who  is  principled  in  that 
Love,  refpedleth  Nothing  but  himfelf,  and  fo  im- 
rnerfes  his  Thoughts  and  Affeclions  into  his  Pro- 
prium :   Hence  it  is,  that  in  the  Love  of  Self  there 

dwells 


286    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

dwells  a  Love  of  doing  Evil ;  the  Reafon  is,  becaufe 
he  doth  not  love  his  Neighbour,  but  himfelf  only  ; 
and  he  who  loves  himfelf  only,  fees  others  aa  with* 
out  himfelf,  or  as  vile^  or  of  no  Account,  whom  in 
Comparifon  with  himfelf  he  defpifeth,  whilfl  he 
makes  light  of  doing  them  Mifchief  :  Hence  it 
comes  to  pafs,  that  he  who  is  in  the  Love  of  Do-, 
minion  grounded  in  the  Lovq  of  Self,  fcruples  not 
to  defraud  his  Neighbour,  to  commit  Adultery  with 
his  Neighbour's  Wife,  to  blafpheme  him,  to  breathe 
Revenge  againfh  him  even  unto  Death,  to  exercife 
Cruelty  towards  him,  and  the  like  :  Man.  deriveth 
ihefe  evil  Difpofitions  from  this  Circumflance,  that 
the  Devil  himfelf  is  Nothing  elfe  but  the  Love  of 
Dominion  grounded  in  the  Love  of  Self,  with  whon^ 
every  one  is  conneded  or  conjoined,  who  is  princi-. 
pled  in  Self-Love,  and  by  whom  he  is  led  ;  and  he 
who  is  led  of  the  Devil,  that  is,  of  Hell,  is  led  into 
all  the  above  Evils  ;  and  he  is  continually  led  by 
the  Delights  of  thofe  Evils :  Hence  it  is,  that  all 
■who  are  in  Plell,  have  a  Defire  to  do  Mifchief  to 
every  one,  but  they  who  are  in  Heaven,  have  a  De-. 
fire  to  do  Good  to  every  one.  From  this  Oppofi- 
tion  exifls  that  Principle  which  is  in  the  Middle,  ii> 
which  Man  is,  and  he  is  therein  as  in  Equilibrio^  fo, 
that  he  can  turn  himfelf  either  to  Hell  or  to  Heav* 
en  ;  and  in  Proportion  as  he  favours  the  Evils  of 
Self-Love,  in  the  fame  Proportion  he  turns  himfelf 
to  Hell,  and  in  Proportion  as  he  removes  thofe  Evils 
from  himfelf,  in  the  fame  Proportion  he  turns  him- 
felf to  Heaven.  It  hath  been  given  me  to  feel  what 
and  how  great  the  Delight  is  of  the  Love  of  Do- 
minion grounded  in  the  Love  of  Self  \    1  was  let 

into 


The  Divine  Providenci^.         287 

into  It,  in  Order  that  I  might  know  it,  and  it  was 
fach,  that  it  exceeded  all  the  Delights  in  the  World  ; 
it  was  a  Delight  of  the  whole  Mind  from  its  Inti- 
mates (inmoft  Parts)  to  its  Ultimates,  but  was  only- 
felt  in  the  Body  as  a  certain  Pleafure  and  Liberty 
[^lubens']  fwelling  in  the  Bread  ;  and  it  was  alfo  giv- 
en to  perceive,  that  from  this  Delight,  as  their  Foun- 
tain, flow  the  Delights  of  all  Evils,  as  of  Adultery, 
Revenge,  Fraud,  Blafphemy,  and  in  general  of  eve- 
ry Thing  that  is  wicked.  There  is  a  Similar  De- 
light in  the  Love  of  pofTefTmg  the  Wealth  of  others 
by  any  Art  whatfoever,  and  in  the  Concupifcences 
which  are  Derivations  therefrom;  but  yet  not  in 
the  fame  Degree,  unlefs  it  be  joined  to  the  Love  of 
Self.  But  with  Refpecl  to  Dignities  and  Riches 
loved  not  for  their  owii  Sake,  but  for  the.  Sake  of 
Ufes,  fuch  Love  is  not  the  Love  of  Dignities  and 
Riches,  but  the  Love  of  Ufes,  to  which  Dignities 
and  Riches  are  fubfcrvient  as  Means ;  this  Love  is 
celeflial :  But  of  it  more  in  what  follov/s.  Thirdly: 
T'bat  thofc  two  Loves  are  diftinB  from  each  other  as 
Heaven  and  Hell,  is  evident  from  what  hath  nov/ 
beed  faid,  to  v/hich  1  will  add  ;  that  all  they  who 
are  in  the  Love  of  Dominion  grounded  in  the  Love 
of  Self,  as  to  their  Spirit,  are  in  Hell,  v/hofoever 
they  be,  whether  great  or  fmall ;  and  that  all  who 
are  in  that  Love,  are  in  the  Love  of  all  Evils,  which 
if  they  do  not  comuiit,  dill  in  their  Spirit  they  think 
them  allowable,  and  therefore  do  them  in  the  Body, 
when  the  Confideration  of  Dignity  and  Honour,  and 
the  Fear  of  the  Law  do  not  .prevent :  i^nd  what  is 
more,  the  Love  of  Dominion  grounded  in  the  Love 
of  Self  intimately  conceals  within  it  Hatred  againd 

God, 


2.88    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

God,  confequently  againft  the  Divine  Things  of  the 
Church,  and  efpecially  againft  the  Lord  ;  if  Perfons 
influenced  by  this  Love,  acknowledge  a  God,  they 
do  it  only  with  their  Mouths^  and  if  they  acknowl- 
edge the  Divine  Things  of  the  Church,  they  do  it 
only  for  Fear  of  lofmg  Credit.  The  Reafon  why 
this  Love  intimately  conceals  in  it  Hatred  againft  the 
Lord,  is,  becaufe  it  is  the  intimate  Property  of  this 
Love,  to  defire  to  be  a  God,  for  it  w^orfliips  and 
adores  itfelf  alone  ;  hence  it  is,  that  if  any  one  hon- 
ours it  fo  much,  as  to  fay  that  it  hath  Divine  Wif- 
dom,  and  is  the  Deity  of  the  World,  it  loves  fuch 
an  one  in  its  Heart.  It  is  otherv;ife  with  the  Love 
of  Dignities  and  Riches  for  the  Sake  of  Ufes  ;  this 
Love  is  celeftial,  becaufe,  as  hath  been  obferved,  it  is 
the  fame  with  the  Love  of 'one's  Neighbour.  By 
Ufes  are  rr.eant  Goods,  and  therefore  by  doing  Ufes, 
is  meant  to  do  Good  ;  and  by  doing  Ufes  or  Good, 
is  meant  to  ferve  others  and  minift.er  to  them  ;  they 
who  do  fo,  although  they  be  in  Dignity  and  in  Op- 
ulence, yet  they  refpect  Dignity  and  Opulence  only 
as  Means  of  doing  Ufes,  confequently  of  ferving 
and  miniftering.  Thefe  are  they  who  are  meant  by 
thefe  Words  of  the  Lord,  "  Whofoever  will  be  great 
among  you^  let  him  be  your  Mini/kr  ;  and  whofoever 
will  he  chief  among  you^  lei  him  be  your  Servant ^^ 
Matt.  XX.  26,  27  :  Thefe  alfo  are  they,  to  whom 
Dominion  in  Heaven  is  entrufted  by  the  Lord,  for 
to  them  Dominion  is  the  Means  of  doing  Ufes,  or 
doing  Good,  confequently  of  ferving,  and  when 
Ufes  or  Good  are  the  Ends  or  Loves,  then  it  is  not 
they  w^ho  have  Dominion,  but  the  Lord,  for  all 
Good  is  from  Him.     Fourthi,y  :    That  the  Dif 

ferenc-: 


The  Divine  Prox^idence.         289 

ference  hstivcsn  iherii  h  difficult  to  he  known  by  Mayi  ; 
the  Reafon  is,  becaufe  mod  of  thofc  who  are  in 
Dignity,  and  in  Opulence,  alfo  perform  Ufes,  but 
it  is  not  known  whether  they  performi  Ufes  for  the 
Sake  of  themfelves^  or  for  the  Sake  of  Ufes  ;   and 
the  lefs  fo,  becaufe  in  the  Love  of  Self  and  of  the 
Worlds  there  is  rriore  of  the  Fire  and  Ardour  of 
performing  Ufes,  than  in  thofe  who  are  not  in  the 
Love  of  Self  and  of  the  World  ;    but  the  former 
perform  Ufes  for  the  Sake  of  Fame  or  Intereft, 
therefore  for  the  Sake  of  themfelves ;  whereas  they 
who  perforiii  Ufes  for  the  Sake  of  Ufes,  or  Good 
for  the  Sake  of  Good,  fuch  do  not  perform  them 
from  themfelves,  but  from  the  Lord.     The  DifTer* 
ence  between  them  is  difficult  to  be  known  by  Man> 
by  Reafon  that  Man  doth  not  know  whether  he  is 
led  of  the  Devil  or  of  the  Lord  ;   he  who  is  led  of 
the  Devil,  doeth  Ufes  for  the  Sake  of  himfelf  and 
the  World,  but  he  who  is  led  of  the  Lord,  doeth 
Ufes  for  the  Sake  of  the  Lord  and  of  Heaven  \  and 
all    they    do   Ufes    from    the    Lord,    who    fliua 
Evils  as  Sins,  but  all  they  do  Ufes  from  the  Devil, 
who  do  not  fliun  Evils  as  Sins,  for  Evil  is  the  Devil, 
and  Ufe  or  Good  is  the  Lord  :  Hereby  and  no  oth- 
erwife  is  the  Difference  known  ;    both  in  their  ex- 
ternal Form  appear  al.ke,  but  in  their  internal  Form 
they  are  totally  unlike  ;    one  is  like  Gold  which 
contains  within  it  Drofs,  but  the  other  is  like  Gold 
which  contains  within  it  pure  Gold  :   And  one  Is 
like  artificial  Fruit,  which  in  its  external  Form  ap- 
pears like  Fruit  gathered  from  a  Tree,  when  nev- 
erthelefs  it  Is  coloured  Wax,  which  hath  within  ic 
Dull  or  Refm  \  but  the  other  is  like  excellent  Fruit, 
N  N  delightful 


^9o    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

'delightful  to  the  Tafte  and  Smell,  which  hath  witlv 
4h  it  Seeds. 

216.  II.  That  Things  eternal  relate  to  fpiritual 
Honours  and  Riches^  which  are  of  Love  and  Wifdo7n 
in  Heaven*  Forafmuch  as  the  natural  Man  calls 
the  Delights  of  Self-Love,  which  are  alfo  the  De- 
lights of  the  Concupifcences  of  Evil,  Goods,  and 
alfo  confirms  himfcif  in  the  Notion  that  they  are 
Goods,  he  therefore  calls  Honours  and  Riches 
'Divine  BleiTmgs ;  but  when  this  natural  Man  fees 
that  the  Wicked,  as  w^ell  as  the  Good,  are  ad- 
vanced to  Honours,  and  promoted  to  Riches,  and 
■ftill  more  when  he  fees  that  the  Good  are  in  Con- 
tempt and  Poverty,  and  the  Wicked  in  Glory  and 
Opulence,  he  thinks  with  himfelf,  w'hat  is  the 
Meaning  of  this,  it  cannot  be  of  the  Divine  Prov- 
idence, for  if  Divine  Providence  governed  all 
Things,  it  would  load  the  Good  with  Honours  and 
Wealth,  and  afilicl  the  Wricked  with  Poverty  and 
Contempt,  and  fo  compel  the  Wicked  to  aknovvl- 
edge  that  there  is  a  God  and  a  Divine  Providence. 
But '  the  natural  Man,  unlefs  illuminated  by  the 
fpiritual  Man,  that  is,  unlefs  he  is  at  the  fame 
Time  fpiritual,  doth  not  fee  that  Plonours  and 
Riches  may  pofTibly  be  Bleffings ;  and  that  poffibly 
they  may  alfo  be  Curfes  ;  and  that  when  they  are 
Bleffings  they  are  from  God,  and  when  they  are 
Curfes  they  are  from  the  Devil ;  that  Honours  and 
Wealth  are  alfo  given  by  the  Devil,  is  known,  for 
thence  he  is  called  the  Prince  of  this  World.  Now 
Avhereas  it  is  not  known  when  Honours  and  Riches 
are  Bleffings,  and  when  they  are  Curfes,  therefore 
it  fliall  be  ihewn^   but  in  this  Order,     i.  That 

Honours 


.      The  Divine  Providence.         291 

Honours  and  Riches  are  Bleflings,  and  that  they 
are  Curfes.  2.  That  Honours  and  Riches,  when 
they  are  Bleflings,  are  fpiritual  and  eternal,  and 
that  when  they  are  Cm-fes,  they  are  temporary  and 
perifliing.  3.  That  the  Honours  and  R.iches, 
which  are  Curfes,  in  Compariibn  with  the  Honours 
and  Riches  which  are  Blellings,  are  as  Nothing  to 
every  Thing,  or  as  that  which  in  itfelf  doth  not 
exift.  to  that  which  in  itfelf  doth  exilL 

217,  We  fhall  now  proceed  to  the  Illuftration  of 
thefe  three   Points.      First  :    That  Honours   a?id 
Riches  'are  BleJJings^  and  that  they  are  Curfes  :  Com- 
mon Experience  teilifies,  that  the  Pious  as  well  as 
the  Impious,  or  the  Juft  as  well  as  the  Unjuft,  that 
is,  the  Good  as  well  as  the  Wicked,  are  in  Dignities 
and  Riches  ;  and  yet  it   cannot  be  denied  by  any 
one,  that   the  Impious    and   Unjuft,  that  is,    the 
Wicked,  go  to  Hell,  and  the  Pious  and  Juft,  that 
is,  the  Good,  to  Heaven  :    Forafmuch  as  this   is 
true,  it  follows,  that  Dignities  and  Riches,  or  Hon- 
ours and  Opulence,  are  either  Bleflings  or  Curfes, 
and  that  with   the   Good   they  are  Bleflings,  and 
with  the  Wicked  Curfes.     In  the  Work  concern- 
ing Heaven  and  Hell,  publiflied  in  London  ia 
the  Year   1758,  n.   357  to  "^fi^^  it  is  fnewn,  that 
there  are  Rich  as  well  as  Poor,  and  Great  as  well 
as  Little  in  Heaven,  and  alfo  in  Hell ;  from  which 
it  is  evident,  that  Dignities  and  Riches,  with  thofe 
who  are  in  Heaven,  in  this  World  weie  Blellings, 
and  that  with  thofe  who  are  in  Hell,  in  this  World 
were  Curfes.     But  whence  it  is  that  they  are  Blef- 
fmgs,  and  whence  that  they  are  Curfes,  every  one 
may  know,  provided  he  thinks  a  little  on  the  Sub- 

jea: 


292     Angelic  Wisdom  cokcernino 

jecl  from  Reafon  ;  namely,  that  they  are  Bleflings 
with  thofe  who  do  not  not  place  their  Hearts  in 
them,  and  that  they  are  Curfes  with  thofe  who  do 
place  their  Hearts  in  them  5  to  place  the  Heart  in 
them,  is  to  love  Self  in  them,  and  not  to  place  the 
Heart  in  them,  is  to  love  Ufes  and  not  Self  in  them : 
The  Nature  and  Quality  of  the  Difference  between 
thefe  tv/o  Loves,  was  explained  above,  n.  2 1 5  5  to 
which  may  be  added,  that  Dignities  and  Riches  fe- 
duce  fome,  and  fome  they  do  not  feduce;  they  feduce, 
when  they  excite  the  Loves  of  Man's  Proprium, 
which  is  the  Love  of  Self,  and  that  this  is  the  Love 
of  Hell,  which  is  called  the  Devil,  %as  alfo  fhewn 
above  ;  but  they  do  not  feduce,  when  they  do  not 
excite  that  Love.  The  Reafon  why  the  Wicked  as 
well  as  the  Good  are  advanced  to  Honours  and  pro- 
moted to  Riches,  is,  becaufe  the  Wicked  as  well  as 
the  Good  perform  Ufes,  but  the  Wricked  do  fo  for 
the  Sake  of  the  Honour  and  Intereft  of  their  own 
Perfons,  whereas  the  Good  for  the  Sake  of  the  Hon- 
our and  Intereft  of  the  Thing  itfelf :  The  latter  re- 
fped  the  Honour  and  Intereft  of  the  Thing  itfelf, 
as  principal  Caufes,  and  the  Honour  and  Intereft  of 
their  own  Perfons  as  inftrumental  Caufes ;  but  the 
Wicked  refpe6t  the  Honour  and  Intereft  of  their 
own  Perfons  as  principal  Caufes,  and  the  Honour 
and  Intereft  of  the  Thing  itfelf  as  inftrumental 
Caufes :  But  who  doth  not  fee,  that  the  Perfon,  his 
Function  and  Honour,  is  for  the  Sake  of  the  Thing 
which  he  adminifters,  and  not  vice  verfa  ?  Who 
doth  not  fee  that  a  Judge  is  for  the  Sake  of  Juftice, 
a  Magiftrate  for  the  Sake  of  the  Community,  and  a 
&ng  for  the  Sake  of  the  Kingdom,  and  not  v/^^r 

verfa? 


The  Divine  Providence.         293 

verfa  ?  Wherefore  alfo,  according  to  the  Laws  of  a 
Kingdom,  every  one  is  in  Dignity  and  Honour,  fuit- 
able  to  the  Fundion  which  he  difcharges,  and  the 
Dignity  thereof;  and  there  is  a  Difference  Uke  that 
between  what  is  principal  and  what  is  inftrumental. 
He  who  attributes  to  himfelf,  or  to  his  own  Perfon, 
the  Honour  of  the  Thing  he  adininiflers,  appears  in 
the  fpiritual  World,  when  the  fame  is  reprefented, 
like  a  Man  with  his  Body  inverted,  having  his  Feet 
upward,  and  his  head  downward.  Secondly  : 
^That  Dignities  and  Riches ,  when  ihey  are  Blejfings^ 
fire  fpiritual  and  eternal^  and  that  when  they  are  Curf- 
es,  they  are  temporary  and  perifoing  :  There  are  Dig- 
nities and  Riches  in  Heaven  as  well  as  in  this  World, 
for  there  are  Governments  there,  and  confequently 
Adminiftrations  and  Fun6tions,  and  there  are  alfo 
commercial  Dealings  [^Negotiationes,'}  and  confe- 
quently Riches,  becaufe  there  are  Societies  and 
Communities  [Ccetus.']  The  univerfal  Heaven  is 
^iftinguifhed  into  two  Kingdoms,  one  of  which  is 
called  the  celeflial,  the  other  the  fpiritual  Kingdom, 
and  each  Kingdom  into  innumerable  Societies,  great- 
er and  fmaller,  all  which,  and  in  which  all,  are  dif- 
pofed  in  Order  according  to  the  Differences  of  Love 
and  the  Wifdom  therefrom  derived ;  the  Societies 
of  the  celeftial  Kingdom  according  to  the  Differ- 
ences of  celeflial  Love,  which  is  Love  to  the  Lord  ; 
and  the  Societies  of  the  fpiritual  Kingdom  accord- 
ing to  the  Differences  of  fpiritual  Love,  which  is 
Love  towards  their  Neighbour  :  Inafmuch  as  there 
are  fuch  Societies,  and  all  who  compofe  them  have 
been  Men  in  the  World,  and  confequently  retain  in 
ttem  the  Loves  in  which  they  were  principled  in 

the 


294    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

the  World,  with  this  Difference,   that  in  another 
World  they  are  Ipiritud,  and  that  the  Dignities  and 
Riches    themlclves   are    fpii\tual   in    the    fpiritual 
Kingdom,  and  celeftial  in  the  eeleftial  Kingdom,  it 
follows  as  a  Conlequence,  that  they  have  greater 
Dignities  and  Riches  than  others,  who  have  greater 
Love  and  Wifdom  than  others,  and  thefe  are  they 
to   whom  Dignities  and  Riches  were  Bleffings  in 
this  World.     Hence  it  may  appear,  what  the  Na-. 
ture  of  fpiritual  Dignities  and   Riches  is,  namely^ 
that  thev  belonc^  to  the  Thing  and  not  to  the  Ferfon  : 
The  Perfon  indeed  who  is  in  Dignity  in  Heaven,  is 
in  Magnificence  and  Glory,  like  that  of  Kings  up- 
on Earth ;  but  yet  they  do  not  reg?j-d  the  Dignity 
itfelf  as  any  Thing,  but  the  Ufes,  in  the  Fundion 
and  Adminiflration  of  which  they  are  engaged  ; 
they  receive  indeed  every  one  the  Honours  of  his 
Dignity,  but  they  themfelves  do  not  attribute  them 
to  themfelves,  but  to   the  Ufes  ^  and  whereas  all 
Dfes  are  from  the  Lord,  they  attribute  them  to  the 
Lord,  from  whom  they  are  derived  :  Such  there- 
fore arc  fpiritual  Dignities  and  Riches,   which  are 
eternal.     But  the  Cafe  is  otherwife  with  thofe  to 
whom  Dignities  and  Riches  in  this  World  were 
Curfes  ;  thefe,  forafmuch  as  they  attributed  them  to 
themfelves,  and  not  to  Ufes,  and  forafmuch  as  they 
did  not  defire  that  Ufes  fhould  govern  them,  but 
that  diey  fliould  govern  Ufes,  which  they  only  re- 
garded as  Ufes  fo  far  as  they  were  fubfervient  to 
their  own  Honour  and  Glory,  are  therefore  in  Hell, 
where  they  are  vile  Drudges  in  Contempt  and  IVJif- 
ery  -,  for  which  Rcafon,  inafmuch  as  thefe  Digni- 
ties and  Riches  pcriili;,  they  are  called  temporary 

and 


The  Div)ine  Providence.         295 

and  perifning.  Coucerning  both  the  latter  and  the 
former  the  Lord  teacheth  as  follows,  "  Lay  not  up 
for  yourfelves  Trcafurcs  upon  Earth,  where  Moth 
and  Rud  doth  corrupt,  and  where  Thieves  break 
through  and  (leal ;  but  lay  up  for  yourfelves  Trcaf- 
ures  in  Heaven,  where  neither  Moth  nor  Rud  doth 
corrupt,  and  where  Thieves  do  not  break  through 
nor  (leal  ;  for  where  your  Treafure  is,  there  will 
your  Heart  be  alfo,"  Matt.  vi.  19,  20,  21.  Third- 
ly :  That  Digniiics  and  Riches  which  are  Curfcs, 
compared  with  the  Dignities  and  Riches  which  arc 
Blcjjings^  are  as  Nothing  to  c-cery  Things  or  as  that 
which  i7i  itfeJf  doth  not  exift^  to  that  which  in  itfelf 
doth  cxiji.  Every  Thing  which  periflieth  and  be- 
cometh  not  any  Thing,  inwardly  in  itfelf  is  not 
-any  Thing,  outwardly  indeed  it  is  Something,  yea 
it  appeareth  as  much,  and  to  feme  as  every  Thing, 
fo  long  as  it  lads,  but  in  itfelf  it  is  not ;  it  is  like  au 
Oatfide,  [Superficies']  within  which  there  is  not  any' 
Thing;  or  like  a  Player  who  appears  in  a  King's 
Apparel  only  till  the  Play  is  ended  :  But  that  which 
remaineth  to  Eternity,  in  itfelf  is  perpetually  Some- 
thing, therefore  every  Thing  ;  and  moreover  it  Is, 
becaufe  it  doth  not  ceafe  to  be. 

218.  IIL  That  Things  temporary  and  eternal  are 
feparated  by  Man^  but  that  they  are  joined  by  the  Lord : 
The  Ground  and  Rcafon  of  this  is,  becaufe  all 
Things  appertaining  Ao  Man  are  temporary,  from 
which  Circumdance  Man  may  be  called  temporary, 
and  all  Things  appertaining  to  the  Lord  are  eternal, 
whence  the  Lord  is  called  Eternal  ;  and  temporary 
Things  are  thofe  which  have  an  End  and  peri(h,  but 
Things  eternal  are  thofe  which  have  no  End,  and 

do 


2^6    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

do  not  perifh.  That  thefe  two  cannot  be  joined  to^ 
gether  but  by  the  infinite  Wifdom  of  the  Lord,  and 
therefore  that  they  can  be  joined  together  by  the 
Lord,  and  not  by  Man,  every  one  may  fee.  But 
that  it  may  be  known,  that  thefe  two  are  feparated 
by  Man,  and  joined  by  the  Lord,  it  (hall  be  demon- 
itrated  in  the  following  Order,  i.  What  temporary 
Things  are,  and  what  Things  eternal.  2,  That  Man 
is  temporary  in  himfelf,  and  that  the  Lord  in  Him- 
felf  is  eternal ;  and  that  therefore  Nothing  can  pro- 
ceed from  Man  but  what  is  temporary,  and  Nothing 
from  the  Lord  but  what  is  eternaL  3.  That  tem- 
porary Things  feparate  Things  eternal  from  them* 
felves,  and  that  Things  eternal  join  temporary 
Things  to  themfelves.  4.  That  the  Lord  joineth 
Man  to  Himfelf  by  Appearances.  5.  And  by  Cor^ 
refpondences. 

219.  But  thefe  Propofitions  ate  feveraify  to  be 
illuftrated  and  confirmed  by  themfelves.  First  :■ 
IVbat  temporary  Things  are,  and  what  Things  eternal : 
Temporary  Things  are  all  thofe  Things  which  are 
proper  to  Nature,  and  thence  proper  to  Man:^ 
Things  proper  to  Nature  are  efpecially  Spaces  and 
Times,  both  fubjeflt  to  Limits  and  Terminations  5 
the  Things  which  are  thence  proper  to  Man,  are  the 
Things  of  his  proper  Will  and  his  proper  Under- 
ftanding,  and  which  are  thence  of  his  AfreQ;ion  and 
Thought,  and  efpecially  the  Things  which  are  of 
his  own  Prudence  ;  which  things,  that  they  are 
finite  and  limited,  is  well  known.  But  Things 
eternal  are  all  Things  which  are  proper  to  the  Lord, 
and  from  him  are  as  it  were  proper  to  Man :  Things 
proper  to  the  Lord  are  all  infinite  and  eternal, 

therefore 


Thi:  Divine  Proyidexcl.         297 

therefore    without    Time,     confequently     without 
Limit   and   without   End  :     The    Things    which 
thence    are   feemingly    proper    to    Man,    in    Hke 
Manner  are  infinite  and  eternal  ;    but  Nothing  of 
thefe  is   of  Man,  but  of  the  Lord  alone  In  him. 
Secondly  :   That  Mmi  is  temporary  in  bimfelf^  and 
that  the  Lord  in  Himfelf  is  eternal ;  and  that  therefore 
Nothing  can  proceed  from  Man  but  ivhat  is  temporary^ 
and  Nothing  from  the  Lord  but  zuhat  is  eternal.    That 
Man  in  himfelf  is  temporary,  and  the  Lord  in  Him- 
felf eternal,  was  faid  above  ;  inafmuch  as  Nothing 
elfe  can  proceed   from  any  one  but  what  is  in  him, 
it  follows,  that  from  Man  Nothing  can  proceed  but 
what  is  temporary,  and  from  the  Lord  Nothing  but 
what  is  eternal ;  for  infinite  cannot  proceed  from 
finite,  and  to  fuppofe  that  it  can  is  a  Contradiction  ; 
and  yet  infinite  can  proceed  from  fmite,  yet  not 
from  finite  itfelf,  but  from  infinite  through  it ;  fo 
on  the  other  Hand,  finite  cannot  proceed  from  in- 
finite, and  to  fuppofe  this  is  alfo  a  Contradiction  ; 
yet  finite  can  be  produced  by  infinite,  but  this  is  not 
to  proceed  but  to  be  created  ;    on  which   Subject 
fee  The   Anoelic    Wisdom    concerning   the 
Divine  Love  and  the   Divine   Wisdom,  from 
Beginning  to  End :    Wherefore  if  finite   proceeds 
from  the  Lord,  as  is  the  Cafe  in  many  Things  with 
Man,  it  doth  not  proceed  from  the  Lord,  but  from 
Man  ;    and  it   may  be  faid  to  proceed  from  the 
Lord  through  Man,   becaufe  it  fo  appears.     This 
may  be  illuftrated  by  thefe  words  of  the  Lord, 
*'  Let  your  Communication  be  yea,  yea  ;  nay,  nay  ; 
for  whatfoevcr  is  more  than  thefe,  cometh  of  Evil," 
Matt.  V.  3;  ;  fuch  is  the  Communicatior;  of  all  in 
O  Q  the 


298     Angelic  Wisdom  concerining 

the  third  Heaven  ;  for  they  never  reafon  concern- 
ing Things  Divine,  whether  they  be  fo  or  not,  but 
fee  in  themfelves  from  the  Lord,  that  they  are  fo 
cr  not  fo  ;  Reafoning  concerning  Things  Divine, 
whether  they  be  fo  or  not,  proceeds  from  the  Rea- 
foner's  not  feeing  them  from  the  Lord,  but  de'firing 
to  fee  them  from  himfelf,  and  that  Vvhich  Man 
fceth  from  himfelf,  is  EviL  But  yet  the  Lord  will- 
eth,  not  only  that  Man  fhould  think  and  fpeak  of 
Things  Divine,  but  alfo  reafon  concerning  them, 
to  the  End  that  he  may  fee  that  they  are  fo  or  not 
fo  ;  and  fuch  Thought,  Difcourle^  or  Reafoning^ 
provided  it  hath  for  its  End  that  he  may  fee  the 
Truth,  may  be  faid  to  be  from  the  Lord  in  Man, 
but  it  is  from  Man,  until  he  fees  Truth,  and  ac- 
knowledges it :  In  the  mean  Time  it  is  from  tha 
Lord  alone,  that  Man  is  capable  of  thinking, 
fpeaking,  and  reafoning  :  for  this  he  can  do  by 
Virtue  of  his  two  Faculties,  called  Liberty  and  Ra- 
tionahty,  which  Faculties  Man  polfelTes  from  the 
Lord  Alone.  Thirdly  :  That  temporary  Things 
JeparatQ  Things  eternal  from  themfehes^  and  thai- 
Things  eternal  join  temporary  Things  to  ihemfehes  : 
By  temporary  Things  feparating  Things  eternal 
from  themfelves,  is  meant,  that  Man  who  is  tem- 
porary doeth  fo  from  the  temporary  Things  in 
himfelf;  and  by  Things  eternal  joining  temporary 
Things  to  themfelves,  is  meant,  that  the  Lord,  who 
is  eternal,  doeth  fo  from  the  Things  eternal  in 
himfelf,  as  was  faid  above.  In  the  preceding 
Pages  it  was  fhewn,  that  there  is  a  Conjundlion  of 
the  Lord  with  Man,  and  a  reciprocal  Conjundion 
of  Man  with  the  Lord  j    yet  that  the  reciprocal 

Conjundion 


The  Divine  Providence.         299 

Conjundion  of  Man  with  the  Lord  is  not  from 
Man,  but   from  the  Lord  ;    alio  that   the  \ViIi  of 
Man  is  in  Oppofition  to  the  Will  of  the  Lord,  or 
what  amounts   to   the  fame,  that  the  Self-derived 
Prudence  of  Man  is  in  Oppofition  to  the  Divine 
Providence  of  the  Lord  ;  from  which  this  Conclu- 
fion  refults  as  a  Confequcnce,  that  Man,  from  his 
own  temporary  Things,  feparates  from  himfelf  the 
eternal  Things  of  the  Lord,  but  that  the  Lord  join- 
-eth  his  eternal  Things  to  the  temporary  Things  of 
Man,  that  is,  joineth  Himfelf  to  Man  and  Man  to 
Himfelf  :  As  this  Subjed  hath  been  fully  treated  of 
before,  there  is  no  Need  of  adding  to   it   further 
Confirmation.     Fourthly  :   That  the  Lord  joineth 
Man   to  Himfelf  by  Appearances  :  For  it  is  an  Ap- 
pearance  that  Man  from  himfelf  loveih  his  Neigh- 
bour, doeth  Good,  and  fpeaketh  Truth  ;  if  thefe 
Things  were  not  to  appear  to  a  Man  as  from  himfelf, 
he   would   not  love  his  Neighbour,  nor  do  Good, 
nor  fpeak  Truths  therefore  would  not  be  Conjoined 
to  the  Lord  :  But  forafmuch  as  Love,  Good,  and 
Truth  are  from  the  Lord,  it  is  evident  that  the  Lord 
joineth  Man  to  himfelf  by  Appearances.     But  this 
Appearance,  and  the  Conjunclion  of  the  Lord  with 
Man,  and  the  reciprocal  Conjunction  of  Man  with 
the  Lord  thereby,  are  abundantly  treated  of  above. 
Fifthly  :  That  the  Lord  joineth  Man  to  LVmifelf  by 
Corrcfpondences  :    This  is   done  by  Means   of  the 
Word,  whofe  Hteral  Senfe  confifls  of  mere  Corrcf- 
pondences ;  that  by  that  Senfe  there  is  a  Conjunc- 
tion of  the  Lord  with  Man,  and  a  reciprocal  Con- 
junction of  Man  with  the  Lord',  is  fliewn  in  The 

DOCTRJNE  OF    the    NeW    JiLRUSALEM    CCNCERN- 

INO 


300    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning^ 

ING  THE  Sacred  Scripture,  from  Beginning  to 
End. 

2  20.  IV.  That  the  Conjundicn  of  Things  temporary 
and  eternal  in  Man  is  the  Divine  Providence  of  the 
Lord :  As  the  Things  herein  implied  cannot  fall 
within  the  firll  Perception  of  the  Underftanding, 
except  they  be  firfl  reduced  to  Order,  and  unfold- 
ed and  demonftrated  according  to  it,  therefore  the 
Order  thereof  iliall  be  as  follows,  i.  That  it  is  by 
Virtue  of  the  Divine  Providence,  that  Man  by 
peath  puts  off  Things  natural  and  temporary,  and 
puts  on  Things  fpiritual  and  eternal.  2.  That  the 
Lord  by  his  Divine  Providence  joineth  himfelf  to 
Things  natural  by  Things  fpiritual,  and  to  Things 
temporary  by  things  eternal  according  to  Ufes, 
3.  That  the  Lord  joineth  himfelf  to  Ufes  by  Cor^ 
refpondences,  and  fo  by  Appearances  according  to 
Confirmations  by  Man.  4.  That  fuch  Conjundion 
of  Things  temporary  and  eternal  is  the  Divine  Prov^ 
idence.  But  thefe  Points  ihall  be  placed  in  a  clear- 
er Light  by  Explanations.  First  :  That  it  is  by 
Virtue  of  the  Divine  Providence^  that  Man  by  Death 
puts  off  Things  natural  and  temporary^  and  puts  on 
Things  fpiritual  and  eternal  :  Things  natural  and 
temporary  are  Extremes  and  Ultimates,  into  which 
Man  firll  enters,  which  is  the  Cafe  w^hen  he  is  born, 
to  the  End  that  he  may  afterwards  be  introduced 
to  Things  interior  and  fuperior  ;  for  Extremes  and 
Ultimates  are  Continents  ;  and  thefe  exift  in  the 
patural  World  :  Hence  it  is  that  no  Angel  or  Spirit 
was  immediately  created  fuch,  but  that  they  were 
all  firfl  born  Men,  and  fo  introduced  ;  hence  they 
have  Extremes  and  Ultimates,  which  in  themfelveg 

are 


The  Divine  Providence.         301 

are  fixed  and  flated,  within  which  and  by  which 
their  Interiors  can  be  contained  in  their  State  of 
Connexion.  But  Man  hrft  puts  on  the  grolTer 
Subflances  oT  Nature,  his  Body  confiding  of  them  j 
thefe  however  he  putteth  off  by  Death,  and  retain- 
eth  the  purer  Subflances  of  Nature,  which  are  next 
to  what  is  fpiritual,  and  then  thefe  are  his  Conti- 
nents. Befides,  in  Extremes,  or  Uhimates,  all 
Things  interior  or  fuperior  rciidc  together  at  once, 
as  was  fhevvn  before  in  its  proper  Place  ;  wherefore 
every  Operation  of  the  Lord  is  from  Primaries  and 
Uhimates  at  once,  therefore  in  FulL  But  foraf- 
much  as  the  Extremes  and  Ultimates  of  Nature 
cannot  receive  Things  fpiritual  and  eternal,  for 
Vhich  the  human  Mind  is  formed,  as  they  are  in 
ihemfelves,  and  yet  Man  is  born  that  he  may  be 
made  fpiritual  and  live  to  Eternity,  therefore  Mari 
putteth  them  off,  and  retaineth  only  interior  natural 
Things  or  Subflances,  which  are  convenient  and 
accord  with  Things  fpiritual  and  celeflial,  and  ferve 
them  as  Continents  ;  this  is  effected  by  the  Rejec- 
tion of  temporary  and  natural  Ultimates,  which  is 
the  Death  of  the  Body.  Secondly  :  Tljat  the 
Lord  by  bis  Divine  Providence  joincth  Hi?nfclf  to 
Things  natural  by  Things  fpiritual^  and  to  Things  tem- 
porary by  Things  eternal  according  to  Ufes  :  Natural 
and  temporary  Things  are  not  only  Things  which 
are  proper  to  Nature,  but  alfo  the  Things  which  are 
proper  to  Men  in  the  natural  World  ;  both  thefe 
Man  putteth  off  by  Death,  and  putteth  on  Things 
fpiritual  and  eternal  correfponding  to  them  ;  that  he 
putteth  on  thefe  according  to  Ufes,  is  fully  fhewn  in 
the  foregoing  Pages.    The  natural  Things  which  arc 

proper 


302     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

proper  to  Nature,  relate  in  general  to  Time  and 
Space,  and  in  particular  to  the  Objeds  which  are 
feen  upon  Earth  ;  thele  Man  leaveth  by  Death,  and 
in  place  of  them  receiveth  Things  fpiritual,  which 
as  to  their  outward  Face  or  Appearance  are  hmilar, 
but  not  as  to  their  internal  Quality  and  ElTcnce  5 
which  Subjed  alfo  is  treated  of  above.  The  tem^ 
porary  Things,  which  are  proper  to  Men  in  the 
natural  World,  in  general  relate  to  Dignities  and 
Riches,  and  in  particular  to  the  Neceflitics  of  each 
Individual,  which  are  Food,  Cloathing,  and  a  Place- 
to  dwell  in  ;  thefe  alfo  are  put  away  and  left  by 
Death,  and  fuch  Things  put  on  and  received,  as  are 
fnnilar  to  them  as  to  their  outward  Face  or  Ap^ 
pearance,  but  not  as  to  their  internal  QuaHty  and 
EiTence  :  All  thefe  derive  their  internal  Quality  and 
Effence  from  the  Ufes  of  Things  temporary  in  the 
World  :  Ufes  are  the  Goods  which  are  called 
Goods  of  Charity.  Hence  it  may  appear,  that  to 
Things  natural  and  temporary  the  Lord  by  his  Di- 
vine Providence  joineth  Things  fpiritual  and  eternal 
according  to  Ufes.  Thirdly  :  That  the  Lordjoin^ 
etb  himfclf  to  Ufes  by  Corvefpondcnces^  and  fo  by  Ap^ 
pearances  according  to  the  Confirmations  thereof  by 
Man  :  As  this  Point  cannot  but  feem  obfcure  to 
thofe  who  have  not  yet  acquired  a  clear  Notion  of 
what  Correfpondence  and  what  Appearance  is, 
therefore  it  Ihall  be  illuflrated  by  Example  and  fo 
explained  :  All  Things  in  the  Word  are  mere  Cor-. 
refpondences  of  Things  fpiritual  and  celeflial,  and 
forafmuch  as  they  are  Correfpondences,  they  are 
alfo  Appearances  ;  that  is,  all  Things  in  the  Word 
are  Divine  Goods  cf  the  Divine  Love,  and  Divinp 

Truths 


The  Divine  Providence.         r^o^ 

Truths  of  the  Divine  Wlfdom,  which  are  naked  in 
thenifelves,  but  cloathed  in  the  literal  Senfe  of  the 
Word  ;  wherefore  they  appear  lilce  a  Man  in  a 
Garment,  which  correfponds  to  the  State  of  his 
Love  and  Wifdom  5  from  which  Confideration  it 
IS  evident  that  if  a  Man  confirms  Appearances,  it  is 
juft  as  if  he  were  to  confirm  that  Garments  are 
Men  ;  hereby  Appearances  beqome  Fallacies :  It  is 
otherwife  if  a  Man  fearches  after  Truths  and  fees 
them  in  Appearances.  Now  forafmuch  as  all  UfeSj 
or  Truths  and  Goods  of  Charity,  which  a  Man  do- 
eth  to  his  Neighbour,  he  either  doeth  according  to 
Appearances,  or  according  to  the  Truths  themfelves 
in  the  Word,  if  he  eftablifhes  the  Conhrmation  of 
them  in  himfelf  according  to  Appearances,  he  is  in 
Fallacies,  but  if  according  to  Truths,  he  doeth  as 
he  ought  to  do  :  Hence  it  may  appear,  what  is 
meant  by  the  Lord's  joining  himfelf  to  Ufes  by  Cor- 
refpondences,  and  fo  by  Appearances,  according  to 
the  Confirmations  thereof  by  Man.  Fourthly  : 
That  fiich  ConjunSfion  of  Things  temporary  and  eternal 
is  the  Divine  Providence  :  That  this  may  be  prefent- 
ed  to  the  Underllanding  in  fome  Degree  of  Light, 
it  may  be  expedient  to  illufirate  it  by  two  Exam- 
ples, by  one  which  concerns  Dignities  and  Hon- 
ours, and  by  another  which  concerns  Riches  and 
Poflellions  ;  both  thefe  in  their  external  Form  are 
natural  and  temporary,  but  in  their  internal  Form 
fpiritual  and  eternal.  Dignities  with  their  Hon- 
ours are  natural  and  temporary,  when  a  Man  per- 
fonally  refpeds  himfelf  in  them,  and  not  the  State 
and  Ufes,  for  then  a  Man  cannot  but  think  interi- 
orly with  himfelf,  that  die  State  v/as  made  for  hirn, 

and 


304    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

and  not  he  for  the  State  ;  he  is  like  a  King  who 
thinks  his  Kingdom  and  all  the  Men  in  it  are  for 
hirn,  and  not  he  for  the  Kingdom  and  the  Men  of 
which  it  confifts-  But  the  fame  Dignities  with  their 
Honours  are  fpiritual  and  eternal,  when  a  Man  re- 
fpe£ls  himfelf  perfonally  as  fubfervient  to  the  State 
and  to  Ufes,  and  not  them  to  him  ;  if  he  doeth  this, 
then  he  is  in  the  Truth  and  in  the  ElTence  of  his 
Dignity  and  Honour  ;  but  if  the  other,  then  he  is 
in  Correfpondence  and  Appearance,  which  if  he 
ccnhrms  in  himfelf,  he  is  in  Fallacies,  and  no  other- 
wife  in  Conjunction  with  the  Lord,  than  they  who 
are  in  Falfes  and  Evils  derived  therefrom,  for  Falla- 
cies are  Falfes  with  which  Evils  join  themfelves  : 
Such  Perfons  do  indeed  perform  Ufes  and  do  Good, 
but  from  themfelves  and  not  from  the  Lord,  there- 
fore they  put  themfelves  in  the  Place  of  the  Lord  : 
It  is  the  fame  with  Riches  and  PoiTefTions,  which 
alfo  are  natural  and  temporary,  as  well  as  fpiritual 
and  eternal ;  Riches  and  PolfefTions  are  natural  and 
temporary  with  thofe,  who  refped  them  alone,  and 
themfelves  in  them,  and  in  thefe  two  place  all  their 
Pleafure  and  Delight ;  but  the  fame  are  fpiritual  and 
eternal  with  thofe,  who  refped  good  Ufes  in  them, 
and  in  thefe  an  interior  Pleafure  and  Delight ;  with 
thefe  latter  the  exterior  Pleafure  and  Delight  alfo  is 
made  fpiritual,  and  temporary  eternal  ;  wherefore 
alfo  thefe  after  Death  dwell  in  Heaven,  and  in  Pal- 
aces there,  the  Utenfils  of  which  are  refplendent 
with  Gold  and  precious  Stones  j  which  neverthelefs 
they  regard  no  otherwife  than  as  Externals  deriving 
their  Splendour  and  Tranfparency  from  Internals, 
which  are  Ufes,  from  which  tl>ey  have  effential  Pleaf- 
ure 


The  Divine  Providence*         305 

ure  and  Delight,  which  in  themfelves  are  the  Biifs 
and  Happinefs  of  Heaven  :  A  contrary  Lot  is  theirs, 
who  have  refpecled  Riches  and  PoiTefuons  folely  fot 
their  own  Sake  and  for  the  Sake  of  Self,  therefore 
for  the  Sake  of  Externals  and  not  at  the  lame  Time 
of  Internals^  confequently  according  to  Appearances 
and  not  according  to  their  Effences  ;   fuch  Perfons, 
when  they  put  off  thefe  Things,  as  is  the  Cafe  wheri 
they  die,  put  on  the  Internals  thereof,  which,  inaf- 
inuch  as  they  are  not  fpiritual,  cannot  be  otherwife 
than  infernal,  for  either  the  one  or  the  other  Princi- 
ple is  in  them,  inafmuch  as  both  cannot  be  there 
together,  wherefore  inflead  of  Riches  they  experi* 
ence  Poverty,  and  indead  of  Pofleflions  Mifery.    By 
Ufes  are  meant  not  only  the  NecelTaries  of  Life, 
which  relate  to  Food,  Cloathing,  an  Habitation  for 
a  Man's  Self  and  his  Family,  but  alfo  the  Good  of 
his  Country,  of  Society,  and  of  his  Fellow  Citizens, 
Such  a  Good  is  Commerce,  when  it  is  the  final 
Love,  and  Money  the  Means  fubfervient,  if  fo  -be 
the  Merchant  Ihunneth  and  avoideth  Frauds  and 
evil  Arts  as  Sins  ;  not  fo  when  Money  is  the  final 
Love,  and  Commerce  the  Means  fubfervient  to  it, 
for  this  is  Avarice,  which  is  the  Root  of  all  Evils, 
as  may  be  feen  in  Luke  xii.   15,  and  the  Parable 
concerning  it^  Verfe  16  to  21. 


P  p  Trjat 


3o6    Angelic  Wisdom  concerniko 

That  Man  is  not  let  more  interiorly  into 
the  Truths  of  Faith  and  the  Goods  of 
Charity  y  than  Jo  Jar  as  he  can  he  kept 
in  them  to  the  End  oj  Lije. 

Ill,  TT  is  well  known  in  the  Chrlftian  Worlds 
1  that  the  Lord  willeth  the  Salvation  of  all, 
and  alio  that  he  is  Omnipotent,  wherefore  many- 
conclude  thence,  that  he  is  able  to  fave  every  one, 
and  does  fave  thofe  who  implore  his  Mercy,  efpe- 
cially  thofe  who  implore  it  by  the  received  Form  of 
Faith,  that  God  the  Father  would  have  Mercy  for 
the  Sake  of  his  Son,  particularly  if  at  the  fame  Time 
they  implore  that  they  may  receive  that  Faith  :  But 
that  the  Cafe  is  altogether  different,  will  be  feen  in 
the  lail  Article  of  this  Treatife,  where  it  will  be  ex- 
plained how  that  the  Lord  cannot  ad  againft  the 
Laws  of  his  Divine  Providence,  becaufe  to  ad  againft 
thofe  Laws,  would  be  to  ad  againft  his  Divine  Love 
and  his  Divine  Wifdom,  confequently  againft  him- 
felf  j  in  the  fame  Place  it  will  be  feen,  that  fuch 
immediate  Mercy  is  not  poftible,  becaufe  the  Sal- 
vation of  Man  is  effeded  by  Means,  according  to 
which  no  other  Perfon  can  lead  Man,  but  He  who 
willeth  the  Salvation  of  all,  and  at  the  fame  Time 
is  Omnipotent,  confequently  the  Lord*  The  Means 
by  which  Man  is  led  of  the  Lord,  are  what  are  call- 
ed the  Laws  of  the  Divine  Providence,  among  which 
is  alfo  this,  that  Man  is  not  let  more  interiorly  into 
the  Truths  of  Wifdom  and  the  Goods  of  Love,  than 
fo  far  as  he  can  be  kept  in  them  to  the  End  of  Life. 

But 


The  Divine  Providence.        307 

But  that  this  may  be  evident  to  Reafon,  it  fiiall  be 
explained  in  the  following  Order:  i.  That  Man 
may  be  let  into  the  Wifdom  of  fpiritual  Things,  and 
alfo  into  the  Love  of  them,  and  yet  not  be  reform- 
ed. 2.  That  if  Man  afterwards  recedes  from  them, 
and  runs  counter  to  them,  he  profaneth  what  is 
facred.  3.  That  there  are  feveral  Kinds  of  Profa- 
nations, but  that  this  Kind  is  the  word  of  all.  4. 
That  therefore  the  Lord  doth  not  let  Man  more  in- 
teriorly into  the  Truths  of  Wifdom,  and  at  the  fame 
Time  into  the  Goods  of  Love,  than.fo  far  as  he  caii 
be  kept  in  them  to  the  End  of  Life. 

222.  L  That  Man  may  be  let  into  the  Wifdom  of 
fpiritual  Things,  and  alfo  into  the  Love  of  ihcm,  and 
yet  not  be  reformed  :  The  Reafon  is,  becaufe  Man 
hath  Rationality  and  Liberty  ;  by  Rationality  he 
can  be  elevated  into  Wifdom  almoft  Angelic,  and 
by  Liberty  into  a  Love  not  unlike  Angelic  Love  ; 
but  ftill  fuch  as  the  Love  is,  fuch  is  the  Wifdom  ; 
if  the  Love  is  celeftial  and  fpiritual,  the  Wifdom 
a|fo  becometh  celeflial  and  fpiritual  ;  but  if  the 
Love  is  diabolical  and  infernal,  the  Wifdoni  alfo  Is 
diabolical  and  infernal ;  the  latter  indeed  may  then 
appear  in  its  external  Form,  and  confequently  be- 
fore others,  as  celeflial  and  fpiritual,  but  in  its  in- 
ternal Form,  which  is  its  very  EiTence,  it  is  diaboli- 
cal and  infernal,  not  outwardly  but  inwardly  ;  that 
it  is  fuch,  doth  not  appear  to  Men,  becaufe  Men  are 
natural,  and  fee  and  hear. naturally,  and  the  exter- 
nal Form  is  natural  ;  but  that  it  is  fuch,  doth  ap- 
pear to  the  Angels,  becaufe  the  Angels  are  fpiritual, 
and  the  internal  Form  is  fpiritual.  Hence  it  is  evi- 
dent, that  Man  might  be  let  into  the  Wifdom  of 

fpiritual 


5o8     AisiGELic  Wisdom  concerning 

fpiritual  Things,  and  alfo  into  the  Love  of  them^ 
and  yet  not  be  reformed,  but  in  this  Cafe  only  into 
the  natural,  and  not  the  fpiritual  Love  of  them  ; 
the  Reafon  is,  becaufe  Man  can  let  himfelf  into  nat- 
ural Love,  but  the  Lord  alone  can  let  him  into  fpir 
ritual  Love,  and  they  who  are  let  into  the  latter, 
are  reformed,  but  they  vi^ho  are  only  let  into  the 
farmer,  are  not  reformed  ;  for  thefe  laft  are  for  the 
moft  Part  Hypocrites,  and  many  of  them  of  the 
Order  of  Jefujrs,  who  interiorly  do  not  believe  any 
Thing  Divine,  but  exteriorly  they  play  with  Divine 
Things  like  thofe  who  exercife  themfelves  in  Leger-? 
demain  [HariclL'] 

223.  By  much  Experience  in  the  fpiritual  World 
it  hath  been  given  to  know,  that  Man  poflefles  in 
himfelf  the  Faculty  of  und^rflanding  the  Arcana  of 
Wifdom,  like  the  Angels  themfelves  ;  for  1  have 
feen  fiery  Devils,  who,  when  they  heard  Arcana  of 
Wifdom,  not  only  underflood  them,  but  alfo  fpake 
them  from  their  own  Rationality  ;  but  as  foon  as 
they  returned  to  their  diabolical  Love,  they  did  not 
tinderftand  them,  but  initead  of  them  Things  con^ 
trary  thereto,  which  were  Infanities,  and  this  they 
then  called  Wifdom  :  Yea,  it  hath  been  given  to 
hear  them,  when  they  were  in  a  State  of  Wifdom, 
laugh  at  their  own  Infanity,  and  when  they  were  in 
a  State  of  Infanity,  laugh  at  Wifdom.  A  Man,  who 
hath  been  fuch  in  this  World,  after  Death  when  he 
becomes  a  Spirit,  for  the  mod  Part  is  let  into  alter- 
nate States  of  Wifdom  and  Infanity,  that  he  may 
diilinguifh  the  one  from  the  other  :  But  although 
from  Wifdom  they  fee  their  Infanity,  yet  when  their 
ppticn  is  given  them,  as  it  is  to  every  one,  they  put 

themfelves 


The  Divine  Providence, 


309 


themfelves  into  a  State  of  Infanity,  and  love  it,  and 
then  they  hate  a  State  of  Wifdom  :  The  Reafon  is, 
becaufe  their  Internal  was  diabohcal,  and  their  Ex- 
ternal like  as  it  were  Divine  :  Thefe  are  they  who 
are  meant  by  Devils,  who  pretend  to  be  Angels 
of  Light ;  and  by  him,  who  at  the  Marriage  had 
not  on  a  Wedding  Garment,  and  was  call  into 
outer  Darknefs,  Matth.  xxii.   11,  12,  13. 

224.  Who  cannot  fee,  that  it  is  the  Internal 
from  which  the  External  exifts,  confequently  that 
the  External  hath  its  EfTence  from  the  Internal  ? 
And  who  doth  not  know  by  Experience,  that  the 
■External  can  appear  otherwife  than  according  to 
its  Eflence  from  the  Internal  ?  This  is  manrfeit  in 
the  Cafe  of  Hypocrites,  Flatterers,  and  DilTemblers  ; 
and  that  Man  can  alTume  a  Character  not  his  own 
in  Externals,  is  evident  from  Players  and  Mimics, 
for  they  can  reprefent  Kings,  Emperors,  yea  An- 
gels, in  their  Tone  of  Voice,  Speech,  Face,  and 
Gefture,  as  though  they  were  really  fuch  -,  when 
neverthelefs  they  are  Nothing  but  Imitators  ;  thefe 
Obfervations  are  made,  becaufe  Man  in  like  Man- 
ner can  play  the  Sycophant,  as  well  in  Matters  of  a 
civil  and  moral  as  of  a  fpiritual  Nature  ;  and  more- 
over it  is  well  known,  that  this  is  the  Cafe  with 
many.  Therefore  inafmuch  as  the  Internal^  in  its 
EfTence  is  infernal,  and  the  External  in  its  Form 
appears  fpiritual,  and  yet  the  External  derives  its 
EiTence  from  the  Internal,  as  was  obferved,  it  may 
be  afked  where  that  EfTence  lies  concealed  in  the 
External  ?  It  doth  not  appear  in  the  Geflure,  nei- 
ther in  the  Tone  of  Voice,  nor  in  the  Speech,  nor 
in  the  Face,  but  yet  it  lies  concealed  interiorly  in 

theiu 


3IO    Angelic  Wisdom  concerking 

them  all  four  :  That  it  lies  interiorly  concealed  in 
their:,  is  evident  from  the  Cafe  of  fuch  Perfons  in 
the  fpiritual  World  ;  for  when  Man  cometh  out  of 
the  natural  World  into  the  fpiritual  World,  whi(^ 
is  the  Cafe  when  he  dies,  then  he  leaveth  his  Ex-, 
ternals  with  his  Body,  and  retains  his  Internals, 
which  he  had  treafured  up  in  his  Spirit,  and  then, 
if  his  Internal  was  infernal,  he  appears  a  Devil, 
fuch  as  he  had  alfo  been  as  to  his  Spirit,  when  he 
lived  in  the  World.  Who  doth  hot  acknowledge^ 
that  every  Man  leaveth  Externals  with  his  Body, 
and  enters  into  Internals  when  he  becometh  a  Spi- 
rit ?  To  this  I  may  add,  that  in  the  fpiritual  World 
there  is  a  Conimunication  of  Affedions  and  of 
Thoughts  derived  from  them,  wherce  it  is  that  no 
one  can  fpeak  otherwife  than  he  thinks :  Alfo,  that 
every  one  there  changeth  his  Face^  and  becomes 
fimilar  to  his  Affedion,  fo  that  from  his  Face  alfo  it 
appears  what  he  is :  Hypocrites  are  fometimes  per- 
mitted to  fpeak  otherwife  than  they  think,  but  the 
Sound  of  their  Voice  is  altogether  difcordant  to  the 
Interiors  of  their  Thoughts,  and  from  that  Difcord- 
ance  they  are  difcovered  :  Hence  it  may  appear,  that 
the  Internal  lies  concealed  interiorly  in  the  Tone, 
Speech,  Face,  and  external  G'ellure,  and  that  this  is 
not  perceived  by  Men  in  the  natural  World,  bu^ 
manifeflly  by  the  Angels  in  the  fpiritual  World* 

225.  Hence  then  it  is  evident,  that  Man,  fo  long 
as  he  lives  in  the  natural  World,  can  be  let  into  the 
Wifdom  of  fpiritual  Things,  and  alfo  into  the  Love 
of  them ;  and  that  this  may  and  can  be  done,  as 
""'']]  Vv'ith  thofe  who  are  merely  natural,  as  with 
thofe   u  ho  are  fpiritual  3  but  with  this  Difference, 

that 


The  Divine  Providence.         311 

that  the  latter  arc  reformed  by  them,  whereas  the 
former  are  not :  It  may  alfo  Appear  as  if  thefe  (fuch 
as  are  merely  natural)  loved  Wii'dom,  but  they  love 
it  no  othervvife,  than  an  Adulterer  loveth  a  noble 
Courtezan,  to  whom  he  fpeaks  flatteringly,  and  pre- 
fents  rich  Garments,  of  whom  neverthelefs  he  thinks 
with  himfelf  at  Home,  that  flie  is  Nothing  but  a  vile. 
Whore,  whom  I  will  make  believe  that  1  love  her, 
becauie  flie  favours  my  Lull ;  but  if  fhe  doth  not  fa- 
vour it,  I  will  rejed  her  :  His  internal  Man  is  this 
Adulterer,  and  his  external  Man  is  this  Woman. 

226.  11.  That  if  Man  afterwards  recedes  from 
them^  and  runs  counter  to  them^  he  profaneth  ivhat  is 
holy.  There  are  feveral  Kinds  of  Profanation  of 
what  is  Holy,  of  which  in  the  following  Article ; 
but  this  Kind  is  the  mofl  grievous  of  all,  for  they 
who  are  Profaners  of  this  Kind,  after  Death  be- 
come no  longer  Men ;  they  live  indeed,  but  con- 
tinually in  a  phantaflical  Delirium,  and  appear  to 
themfelves  to  be  flying  on  high,  and  when  they  are 
flill,  they  play  with  Phantafies,  which  are  k^n.  by 
them  as  Things  real ;  and  forafmuch  as  they  are 
uo  longer  Men,  they  are  not  called  Pie  and  She, 
but  It :  Yea,  when  they  are  feen  in  the  Light  ef 
Heaven,  they  appear  like  Skeletons,  fome  like  Skele- 
tons of  a  bony  Colour,  fome  fiery^  and  fome  dry. 
That  they  who  are  guilty  of  this  Kind  of  Profanation 
become  fuch  after  Death,  u  not  known  in  the  World, 
and  it  is  not  known  by  Reason  that  the  Caufe  of  it 
^^  is  not  known  ;  the  Caufe  of  it  is,  that  when  a  Man 
firft  acknowledges  Divine  Things,  and  believes  them, 
and  afterwards  recedes  and  denies  them,  then  he 
luixeth   Things  holy  with  profane  j  v;hich,  when 

they 


312     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

they  are  mixed,  cannot  otherwife  be  feparated,  than 
by  the  DeftrucVion  of  the  whole.  But  that  this 
may  be  more  clearly  perceived,  it  fhall  be  explain- 
ed in  the  following  Ordet* :  i.  That  whatfoever  a 
Man  thinketh,  fpeaketh,  and  doeth  from  his  Will,  is 
appropriated  to  him  and  remaineth,  as  well  Good 
as  Evil.  2.  That  the  Lord  by  his  Divine  Provi- 
dence continually  provideth  and  difpofeth,  that  E- 
vil  may  be  by  itfelf,  and  Good  by  itfelf,  and  fo  that 
they  may  be  feparated,  3.  That  this  cannot  be 
done^  if  Man  firll  acknowledgeth  the  Truths  of 
Faith,  and  Hveth  according  to  them,  and  afterwards 
recedeth  and  denieth  them.  4.  That  in  this  Cafe 
he  mixeth  Good  and  Evil  in  fuch  a  Manner  that 
they  cannot  be  feparated.  5.  And  forafmuch  as 
Good  and  Evil  with  every  Man  are  to  be  feparatedj^ 
and  in  fuch  a  one  cannot  be  feparated,  therefore  he 
is  deflroyed  as  to  every  Thing  truly  Human. 

227.  Thefe  are  the  Caufes  why  a  Thing  fo  enor- 
mous exifls,  but  forafmuch  as  thefe  Caufes  are  in 
Obfcurity  by  Reafon  of  the  Ignorance  thereof,  they 
Ihall  be  explained,  in  Order  that  they  may  be  ev- 
ident to  the  Underftanding.  First  :  That  whaU 
foever  a  Man  thinketh^  fpcaketh^  and  doeth  from  his 
Will,  is  appropriated  to  him  and  remai7ieth^  as  well 
Good  as  Evil :  This  was  fhewn  above,  n.  78  to  81  : 
For  Man  hath  an  external  or  natural  Memory,  and 
an  internal  or  fpiritual  Memory  ;  in  this  laft  Memo- 
ry are  infcribed  all  and  every  Thing  whatfoever 
that  he  had  thought,  fpoken,  and  done  in  the 
World  from  his  Will,  and  that  fo  perfedly  as  to  ev- 
ery Particular,  that  no  one  Thing  is  wanting ;  this 
Memory  is  the  Book  of  his  Life,  which  after  Death  is 

opened, 


The  Divine  Providence.        313 

bpened,   and   according   to  which   he   is  judged. 
Concerning  this  Memory  more  is  adduced  in  the 
Work  on  Heavkn  and  Hell,  n.  461  10465,  from 
my  own  Experience.      Secondly:   But  that  the 
Lord  by  his  Divine  Providence  continually  providetb 
and  difpofeth^  that  Evil  may  he  by  itfclf^  and  Good  by  it^ 
felfj  and  Jo  that  they  may  he  feparatcd :  Every  Man  is 
as  well  in  Evil  as  in  Good,  for  he  is  in  Evil  ffoni 
himfelf,  and  in  Good  from  the  Lord,  and  Man  can- 
not live  unlefs  he  be  in  both,  for  if  he  were  in  him- 
felf alone,  and  fo  in  Evil  alone,  he  would  not  have 
any  Life,  and  if  he  were  in  the  Lord  alone,  and  fo 
in  Good  alone,  neither  would  he  have  any  Life,  for 
Man  in  the  latter  Kind  of  Life  would  be  as  it  were 
fuffocated  continually  gafping  for  Breath,  or  like  one 
in  the  Agonies  of  Death;  and  in  the  former  Kind 
cf  Life  he  would  be  extind,  for  Evil  without  any 
Good  in  itfelf  is  dead,  wherefore  every  Man  is  in 
both  ;  but  the  Difference  is,  that  one  is  interiorly  in 
the  Lord,  and  exteriorly  as  if  in  himfelf,  and  anoth- 
er is  interiorly  in  himfelf,  but  exteriorly  as  if  in  the 
Lord,  and  the  latter  is  in  Evil  and  the  former  in 
Good,  yet  each  is  in  each  ;  the  Reafon  why  this  is 
alfo  the  Cafe  with  a  wicked  Man,  is,  becaufe  he  is 
in  the  Good  of  civil  and  moral  Life,  and  alfo  exte- 
riorly in  fome  Good  of  fpiritual  Life ;  befides  that 
he  is  kept  in  Rationality  and  Liberty  by  the  Lord,  in 
Order  that  he  may  have  the  Power  of  being  in 
Good  ;  this  is  the  Good,  by  which  every  Man,  even 
the  Wicked,  is  led  of  the  Lord,     From  thefe  Con- 
fiderations  it  may  be  feen,  that  the  Lord  feparateth 
Evil  and  Good,  that  the  one  may  be  interior  and 
the  other  exterior,  and  fo  provideth  that  they  be 
Q^CL  not 


314    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

not  mixed.  Thirdly  :  But  thai. this  cannot  be  done^ 
if  Manfirjl  ackno-xledgeth  the  Truths  of  Faith ^  and 
liveth  according  to  theni^  and  afterwards  recedeth  and 
clenkih  them  :  This  is  evident  from  what  hath  noW 
been  faid  ;  firfl,  that  every  Thing  which  a  Man- 
thinketh,  fpeaketh^  and  doech  from  the  Willj.  is  ap-- 
propriated  to  him  and  remaineth  ;  and  fecondly^y 
that  the  Lord  by  his  Divine  Providence  continually^ 
provideth,  and  fo  difpofeth  Things,  that  Good  may 
be  by  itfelf,  and  Evil  by  itfelf,  and  that  they  may  be 
feparated  ;  moreover  they  are  feparated  by  the  Lord 
after  Death  5  from  thofe  who  are  interiorly  evil  and 
exteriorly  good,  the  good  k  taken  away,  and  fo  they 
are  left  in  their  Evil ;  the  Cafe  is  reverfed  with 
thofe  who  are  interiorly  good,  and  exteriorly  like 
other  Men  have  acquired  Wealth,  fought  after  Dig- 
nities, been  delighted  with  various  worldly  Things^ 
and  have  favoured  fome  Goiicupifeences ;  in  thefe 
neverthelefs  Good  and  Evil  are  not  mixed,  but  fepa- 
rate  as  internal  and  external ;  thus  in  their  external 
Form  they  have  been  in  many  Refpe6ls  like  the 
Wicked,  but  yet  not  in  their  internal  Form  :  So  on 
the  other  Hand  the  Wicked,  who  in  their  external 
Form  have  appeared  like  the  Good,  in  Regard  to 
piety,  Divine  Worlhip,  Words  and  Adions,  and 
yet  in  their  internal  Form  have  been  Vv^icked,in  thefe 
alfo  the  Evil  i>  feparated  from  the  Good.  But  in 
thoie,  who  have  iirft  acknowledged  the  Truths  of 
Faith,  and  lived  according  to  them,  and  afterwards 
have  run  counter,  and  reje<Si:ed  them,  and  efpecially 
if  they  have  denied  them.  Goods  and  Evils  are  no 
longer  feparated,  but  mixed  together  ;  for  fuch  a 
Man  hath  appropriated  to  himfelf  Good,  and  alfij- 

hath 


The  Divine  Providence.         31^ 

hath  appropriated  to  hlinfelf  Evil,  and  fo  hath  join- 
ed and  mixed  them.  Fourthly  :  That  in  ibis 
Cafe  be  mixeth  Good  and  Evil^  infuch  a  Manner^  that 
4 bey  cannat  be  feparated^  follows  irom  what  hath  juft 
now  been  faid  ;  and  if  Evil  cannot  be  feparaied 
from  Good,  and  Good  from  Evil,  he  can  neither 
;be  in  Heaven  nor  in  Hell ;  every  Man  mull  be 
icithei*  in  one  or  the  other,  he  cannot  be  in  both, 
for  in  that  Gafe  he  v/ould  be  one  while  in  Heaven, 
^and  another  while  in  HelL  and  when  in  Heaven  he 
would  aft  in  Favour  of  Hell,  and  when  in  Hell  he 
would  acl  in  Favour  of  Heaven,  and  fo  deftroy  the 
Life  of  all  who  were  about  him,  the  celeftial  Life 
in  the  Angels,  and  the  infernal  Life  in  the  Devils, 
whereby  the  Life  of  every  one  would  perifh,  for 
the  Life  of  every  one  mud  be  his  own,  no  one  liv- 
jsth  in  a  Life  foreign  to  his  own,  ilill  lefs  in  one  that; 
is  oppofite«  Hence  it  is,  that  the  Lord  feparates  in 
^very  one  after  Death,  when  he  becometh  a  Spirit 
,pr  a  fpiritual  Man,  Good  from  Evil  and  Evil  from 
(jood  ;  Good  from  Evil  in  thofe  who  are  interiorly 
in  Evil,  and  Evil  frora  Good  in  thofe  who  are  inte- 
riorly in  Good  ;  which  is  according  to  his  own 
Words,  "  Whofocver  hath^  to  him  Jhall  he  given ^  and 
he  jhall  havg  more  abundantly  ;  but  whofoever  hath 
fioi,  from  him  Jl:) all  be  taken  aivay^  even  that  he  haihy* 
Matt.  xiii.  12.  Gliap.  xxv.  29.  Mark  iv.  25. 
Luke  viii.  i  §.  Chap.  xix.  26.  Fifthly  :  Foraf- 
viuch  as  Good  and  Evil  in  every  Man  (ire  to  be  fepa- 
raied^ and  infuch  a  one  cannot  be  fcparatcd.  that  there- 
fore he  is  defiroyed  as  to  every  Thing  truly  human  : 
What  is  truly  human  [yere  humanum^  every  one 
|iath  by  Virtue  of  Rationality,  in  that  he,  can  fee 

and 


§ 


3i6    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

and  know,  if  he  will,  what  is  true  and  what  is  good, 
^nd  can  alfo  will,  think,  fpeak,  and  do  Good  from 
Liberty,  as  was  fhewn  before  ;  but  this  Liberty  with 
Jts  Rationality  is  deftroyed  in  thofe,  who  have  mix« 
^d  Good  and  Evil  in  themfelves  ;  for  they  cannot 
by  Virtue  of  Good  fee  Evil,  neither  can  they  by 
Virtue  of  Evil  know  Good,  inafmuch  as  they  make 
one,  therefore  they  no  longer  have  the  Faculty  or 
Power  of  Rc.tionality,  and  confequently  neither  have 
they  any  Liberty  :  This  is  the  Reafon  why  they  are 
as  mere  phantaftical  Deliria,  as  was  faid  above,  and 
jio  longer  appear  as  Men,  but  like  Bones  covereq 
■with  Skin,  and  therefore  when  they  are  named,  they 
are  not  called  He  or  She,  but  It ;  Such  is  the  Lot 
of  thofe  who  in  this  Manner  mix  Things  holy  with 
profane  :  But  there  are  feveral  Kinds  of  Profa- 
nation, which  are  not  of  this  Nature  j  of  which  in 
the  fubfequent  Article. 

228.  No  Man  thus  profanes  Things  holy,  who 
doth  not  know  them,  for  he  who  doth  not  know 
them,  cannot  acknowledge  them,  and  afterwards 
deny  them  ;  wherefore  they  who  are  without  the 
Chriftian  World,  and  do  not  know  any  Thing  of 
the  Lord,  and  of  Redemption  and  Salvation  by 
Him,  do  not  profane  the  Holinefs  thereof,  when 
they  do  not  receive  it,  yea,  neither  when  they  fpeak 
againfl:  it.  Neither  do  the  Jews  profane  it,  be^ 
caufe  from  their  Infancy  they  have  refufed  to  re- 
ceive and  acknowledge  it ;  it  would  be  otherwife  if 
they  received  and  acknowledged,  and  afterwards 
denied  it,  which  neverthelefs  is  rarely  the  Cafe  5  for 
jnany  of  them  acknowledge  it  exteriorly,  and  deny 
\t  interiorly,  and  are  like  Hypocrites.     But  they 

profane 


The  Divine  Providence.        31^ 

profane  Things  holy,  by  mixing  them  with  what 
is  profane,  who  firfl  receive  and  acknowledge 
them,  and  afterwards  depart  from  them  and  deny 
them.  Their  receiving  and  acknowledging  them 
in  their  Infancy,  and  Childhood,  is  not  to  be  reck- 
oned as  any  Thing,  for  this  every  Chriftian  doeth, 
becaufe  at  that  Age  they  do  not  receive  and  ac- 
knowledge the  Things  which  are  of  Faith  and  Char-^ 
ity  from  afty  Rationality  and  Liberty,  that  is,  in  the 
tJnderflandlng  from  the  Will,  but  only  from  Mem- 
ory and  the  Authority  of  Mafters,  and  if  they  live 
according  to  them,  it  is  out  of  blind  Obedience ; 
but  when  Man  cometh  into  the  Ufe  of  his  Rational- 
ity and  Liberty,  as  is  the  Cafe  lliccelTively  when  he 
groweth  up  [_adolefcit  et  juvenefcit^  if  he  then  ac- 
knowledges Truths  and  lives  according  to  them,  and 
afterwards  denieth  them,  he  mixeth  Things  holy 
and  profane,  and  inftead  of  a  Man,  becometh 
fuch  a  Monfter,  as  was  defcribed  above.  But  if 
^an  is  in  Evil,  from  the  Time  he  becomes  polfeffed 
of  Rationality  and  Liberty,  that  is,  from  the  Time 
he  begins  to  think  for  himfelf  [dumfui  Juris  fadus 
eji^  even  to  the  Period  of  Youth,  and  afterwards 
acknowledges  the  Truths  of  Faith  and  lives  accord- 
ing to  them,  provided  he  then  abideth  in  them  to 
his  Life's  End,  he  doth  not  mix  them,  for  the  Lord 
then  feparateth  the  Evils  of  his  former  Life  from 
the  Goods  of  his  latter  Life  ;  this  is  the  Cafe  with 
all  who  repent.  But  of  this  more  in  what  follows. 
229.  IIL  That  there  are  fever al  Kinds  of  Profa- 
nations  of  what  is  holy^  and  that  this  Kind  is  the  ivorfl 
if  all  In  the  moil  common  or  general  Senfe,  by 
profanation    is   meant  all    Impiety,    therefore  by 

Profaners 


3i8     Angelic  Wisdom  cckcePvKiimg 

Profaners  are  meant  all  Impious  Perfons,  who  In 
their  Hearts  deny  God,  the  Sanctity  of  the  Word, 
and  confequently  the  fpiritual  1  hings  of  the  Church , 
which  are  Sanctity  itfelf,  concerning  which  they  alfo 
fpeak  impioufly.  Such  Profaners  however  we  are 
liot  here  treating  of^  but  of  thofe  who  profefs  to 
bfiievc  in  God,  who  ellablifli  the  Sanclity  of  the 
Word,  and  who  acknowledge  the  fpiritual  Things 
of  the  Church,  and  yet  do  this  for  the  mod  Part 
only  with  their  Mouths  :  The  Reafon  why  thefe 
are  guilty  of  Profanation,  is,  becaufe  what  is  holy 
out  of  the  Word  [_Sancium  ex  Verbo]  is  in  them  and 
with  them,  and  this  which  is  in  them,  and  whici) 
conftitutes  fome  Part  of  their  Underftanding  and 
Will,  they  profane  ;  whereas  in  the  Impious,  whq 
deny  the  Divinity  an^  all  Things  Divine,  there  \% 
not  any  Thing  holy  for  them  to  profane  :  Thefe 
indeed  are  Profaners,  but  they  are  not  the  Pro? 
fane. 

230.  The  Profanation  of  what  is  holy  Is  meant 
in  the  fecond  Commandment  of  the  Decalogue^ 
w^here  it  is  faid,  Thou  shalt  not  profane  the 
Name  of  thy"  God  :  And  that  it  ought  not  to  bq 
profaned,  or  that  Profanation  is  to  be  fliunned, 
is  meant  in  the  Lord's  Prayer,  by  Hallowed  be 
THY  Name  :  What  is  underflood  by  the  Name  of 
God,  is  fcarcely  known  by  any  in  the  Chrifliau 
World  :  The  Reafon  is,  becaufe  it  is  not  known, 
that  in  the  fpiritual  World  there  are  not  Names,  as 
in  the  natural  World,  but  that  every  one  is  named 
according  to  the  r)uality  of  his  Love  and  Wifdom  ^ 
for  as  foon  as  any  one  cometh  into  Society  or  AfTo-^ 
,ciation  with  others^' he  is  immediately  named  accord^ 


/ 


The  Divine  Providence, 


319 


!ng  to  bis  Qaallty  there  ;  and  his  Name  is  in  the 
fpiritual  Language,  which  is  fuch,  that  it  can  give 
a  Name  to  everv  Thlri'^,  becaufe  there  each  Letter 
in  the  Alphabet  lignifiLS  a  Thing,  and  levcral  Let- 
ters joined  into  a  Word,  which  conilitute  the  Name 
of  a  Perfon,  involve  the  entire  State  of  the  Thing  : 
This  is  one  of  the  wonderful  Things  in  the  fpiritual 
World.  Hence  it  is  evident,  that  by  the  Name  of 
God  in  the  Word  is  figniiied  God  with  every  Thing 
Divine  [all  the  Divine^  which  is  in  Him,  and  pro- 
eeedeth  from  Him  ;  and  forafmuch  as  the  Word  is 
the  proceeding  Divine,  this  is  the  Name  of  God  ; 
and  forafmuch  as  all  the  Divine  Things,  which  are 
Galled  fpiritual  Things  of  the  Church,  are  from  the 
Word,  they  alfo  are  the  Name  of  God.  Froni 
thefe  Confiderations  it  may  be  feen  what  is  meant 
in  the  fecond  Gommandment  in  the  Decalogue, by 
Thou  Jh alt  not  profane  the  Name  of  God  ;  and  in  the 
Lord's  Prayer  by  Hallowed  be  iljy  Name,  Similar  is 
the  Signification  of  the  Name  of  God  and  of  the 
Lord,  in  many  Places  of  the  Word  of  both  Tcfla- 
ments,  as  in  Matt.  vii.  22.  Chap.  x.  22.  Chap, 
xviii.  5,  20.  Chap.  xix.  29.  Chap.  xxi.  9.  Chap. 
xxiv.  9,  10.  John  i.  12.  Chap.  ii.  23.  Chap.  iii. 
17,  18.  Chap.  xii.  13,  28.  Chap.  xiv.  14,  15,  iC, 
Chap.  xvi.  23,  24,  26,  27.  Chap.  xvii.  6.  Chap. 
XX.  31  ;  befides  other  Places,  and  very  many  in  the 
Old  Teflament.  He  who  knoweth  this  Significa- 
tion of  Name,  may  know  what  is  fignified  by  thefe 
Words  of  the  Lord,  "  He  that  receiveth  a  Prophet 
in  the  Name  of  a  Prophet^  Jhall  receive  a  Prophet's 
Reward^  and  he  that  receiveth  a  righteous  Man  in  the 
Name  of  a  righteous  Man,  (I)all  receive  a  righteous 

Man's 


320   Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Man's  Reivard  ;  and  whofoever  Jhall  give  to  drink 
U7Uo  one  of  thefe  little  ones,  a  Cup  of  cold  Water  onlyy 
in  the  Name  of  a  Dlfcipki  he  Jhall  in  no  ivfe  lofe  his 
Reivard^'^  Matt.  x.  41  ;  he  who,  by  the  Name  of 
a  Prophet,  by  a  righteous  Man,  and  a  Difciple,  here 
underftands  only  a  Prophet,  a  righteous  Man,  and 
a  Difciple,  doth  not  underftand  any  other  than  bare- 
ly the  literal  Senfe,  neither  doth  he  know  what  is 
the  Reward  of  a  Prophet,  the  Reward  of  a  juft  Man^ 
and  the  Reward  of  a  Cup  of  cold  Water  given  to  a 
Difciple,  when  neverthelefs  by  the  Name  and  the 
Reward  of  a  Prophet  is  meant  the  State  and  Felicity 
of  thofe  who  are  in  Divine  Truths  ;  by  the  Name 
and  the  Reward  of  a  righteous  Man,  the  State  and 
Felicity  of  thofe  who  are  in  Divine  Goods  ;  and  by 
a  Difciple,  thofe  who  are  in  fome  fpiritual  Things 
of  the  Church,  a  Cup  of  cold  Water  being  Some- 
thing of  Truth.  That  the  Quality  of  the  State  of 
Love  and  Wifdom,  or  of  Goodnefs  and  Truth,  is^ 
fignified  by  Name,  is  alfo  evident  from  thefe  V7ords 
of  the  Lord,  "  He  that  entereth  in  by  the  Boor  is  the 
Shepherd  of  the  Sheep  ;  to  him  the  Porter  openeth  ;  and 
the  Sheep  hear  his  Voice  ;  and  he  calleth  his  own  Sheep 
by  Name^  arid  kadeth  them  oiity'  John  x.  2,  3  ;•  to 
call  his  Sheep  by  Name,  is  to  teach  and  kad  every 
one  who  is  in  the  Good  of  Charity,  according  to  the 
State  of  his  Love  and  Wifdom  :  By  the  Do6r  is 
meant  the  Lord,  as  is  evident  from  Verfe  9th  of 
the  fame  Chapter,  "  I  atn  the  Door :  By  Me  if  any 
Man  enter  in,  he  Jhall  be  faved  ;**  from  which  it  is 
evident^  that  the  Lord  himfelf  is  to  be  approached, 
in  Order  that  any  one  may  be  faved,  and  that  he 
who  approacheth  Him,  h  the  Shepherd  of  the 

Sheep  J 


The  Divine  Providence.         321 

Sheep ;  and  he  who  doth  not  approach  Him,  is  a 
Thief  and  a  Robber,  as  it  is  faid  in  Verie  ifl:  of  that 
Chapter. 

231.  Forafinuch  as  by  the  Profanation  of  what 
is  holy,  is  meant  Profanation  by  thofe  who  know 
^  i^the  Truths  of  Faith  and  Goods  of  Charity  from  the 
pP  Word,  and  alfo  in  fome  Meafure  acknowledge  them, 
and  not  they  who  do  not  know  them,  nor  they  who 
from  Impiety  entirely  reject  them,  therefore  what 
follows  is  laid  not  of  the  latter,  but  of  the  former  ; 
the  Kinds  of  Profanation  by  thefe  are  feveral, 
lighter  and  more  grievous,  but  they  may  be  refer- 
red to  thefe  feven.  The  firs  r  Kind  of  Prof- 
anation IS  committed  by  those,  who  jefi 
from  the  Wordy  and  concerning  the  Wordy  or  from  the 
Divine  Things  of  the  Church  and  concerning  them : 
This  is  done  by  fome  from  a  bad  Habit,  by  taking 
Names  or  Forms  of  Speech  out  of  the.  Word,  and 
introducing  them  in  unfeemly  and  fometimes  filthy 
Difcourfe  ;  which  cannot  but  be  connected  with  a 
Contempt  of  the  Word  in  fome  Sort ;  w^hen  never- 
thelefs  the  Word  in  the  Whole  and  in  every  Partic-;^ 
ular  is  Divine  and  holy ;  for  every  Word  thereof 
in  its  Bofom  containeth  fomething  Divine  ;  and 
thereby  hath  Communication  with  Heaven  :  But 
this  Kind  of  Profanation  is  lighter,  or  more  griev- 
'j^  ous,  according  to  the  Acknowledgment  of  the  Sanc- 
tity of  the  Word,  and  the  Indecency  of  the  Dif- 
courfe in  which  it  is  introduced  by  thofe  who  make 
a  Jeft  of  it.  A  second  Kind  of  Profanation  is 
COMMITTED  BY  THOSE,  who  widerjland and acknowU 
edge  Divine  Truths^  and  yet  live  contrary  to  them  ; 
but  they  profane  them  more  lightly,  who  only  un- 
R  R  derdand 


322     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

derfland  them,  whereas  fuch  as  acknowledge  them 
alfo,  profane  them  more  grievoufly  j  for  the  Under-  ^ 
Handing  only  teacheth,  much  in  the  fame  Manner  ^^ 
as  when  a  Preacher  teachetb,  and  doth  not  conjoin  ''^ 
itfelf  with  the  Will  from  itfelf  j  but  Acknowledg- 
ment conjoineth  itfelf,  for  Nothing  can  be  acknowl- 
edged without  the  Confent  of  the  Will :  Howbeit 
this  Conjundion  is  various,  and  the  Profanation 
is  according  to  the  Conjunction,  when  a  Life  is  kd 
contrary  to  the  Truths  which  are  acknowledged  ^  as 
for  Example,  if  any  one  acknowledgeth  that  Re- 
venge and  Hatred,  Adultery  and  Fornication,  Fraud 
and  Deceit,  Blafphemy  and  Lies,  are  Sins  againft 
God,  and  yet  committeth  them,  fuch  a  one  is  in  a 
more  grievous  Degree  of  this  Kind  of  Profanation  ; 
for  the  Lord  faith,  "  TLe  Servant  %vho  knozueth  his 
Lord's  Willy  and  doeth  not  according  to  his  Willy/hall 
be  beaten  with  many  Stripes ^^  Luke  xii.  48*  And  in 
another  Place,  "  If  ye  ivere  blinds  ye  would  have  no 
Sin  ;  but  no%v  ye  fay^  we  fee^  therefore  your  Sin  re^ 
mainethy'  John  ix.  41.  But  it  is  one  Thing  to  ac- 
knowledge Appearances  of  Truth,  and  another  to  ac- 
knowledge genuine  Truths  ;  they  who  acknowledge 
genuine  Truths,  and  ftill  do  not  Hve  according  to 
them,  appear  in  the  fpiritual  World  without  the 
Light  and  Heat  of  Life  ia  the  Tone  of  their  Voice 
and  Speech,  as  if  they  were  Inertnefs  itfelf  [^ficutfo- 
rent  mercii  Ineriice?^  A  third  Kind  of  Profana- 
TiON  IS  COMMITTED  BY  THOSE  who  apply  the  liter* 
al  Senfe  of  the  Word  to  confirm  evil  Loves ^  and  falf; 
Frmciples  ;  the  Reafon  is,  becaufe  a  Confirmation 
of  what  is  Falfe  is  a  Negation  of  the  Truth,  and  a 
Confirmation  of  Evil  is  a  Rejection  of  Good,  and 

the 


The  Divine  Providence.        323 

the  Word  contains  in  its  Bofom  Nothing  but  Di- 
vine  Truth  and  Divine  Good,  and  this  in  the  uhi- 
mate  Senfe,  which  is  the  literal  Senfe,  doth  not  ap- 
pear in  genuine  Truths,  (except  where  it  teacheth 
concerning  the  Lord  and  the  eflential  Way  of  Sal- 
vation,) but  in  Truths  cloathed,  which  are  called  Ap- 
pearances of  Truth  ;  wherefore  this  Senfe  may  be 
wrefled  to  confirm  Herefies  of  many  Kinds  :    But 
whofo  conlirmeth  evil  Loves,  offereth  Violence  to 
Divine  Goods  ;  and  whofo  confirmeth  falfe  Princi- 
ples, offereth  Violence  to  Divine  Truths  :  This  lat- 
ter Violence  is  called  the  Falfification  of  Truth,  but 
the  former  the  Adulteration  of  Good  ;  they  are  both 
imderflcod  by  Bloods  in  the  Word  ;  for  the  fpirit- 
ual  Holy  Principle,  (or  fpiritual  Holinefs)  which  is 
alfo  the  Spirit  of  Truth  proceeding  from  the  Lord, 
refideth  inwardly  in  every  Particular  of  the  literal 
Senfe  of  the  Word  ;  this  Holy  [Spirit]  is  violated, 
when  the  Word  is  falfified  a^d  adulterated  :  That 
this  is  Profanation,  is  evident.     A  fourth  Kind 
OF  Profanation  is  committed  by  those,  cc'Z^c? 
luith  their  Mouths  /peak  Things  pious  and  holy,  and, 
alfo  in  their  Tone   of  Voice  and  Gefiiire   counterfeit 
Affeclions  of  the  Love  of  fuch  Things,  and  yet  in  their 
Hearts  do  not  believe  and  love  them,     Moft  of  thefe 
are  Hypocrites   and  Pharifees,   from  whom  after 
Death  every  Truth  and   Good  is  taken  away,  and 
then  they  are  fent  into  outer  Darknefs.     Such  of 
this   Kind,  as  have  confirmed  themfelves  againft 
what  is  Divine,  and  agaiafl  the  Word,  and  thence 
alfo  againft  the  fpiritual  Things  of  the  Word,  fit 
filent  in  that  Darknefs,  impotent  of  Speech,  and 
clefirous  to  babble  about  Things  pious  and  holy,  as 

they 


324    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

they  did  in  the  World,  but  they  are  not  able  ;  for 
in  the  fplritiial  World  every  one  is  forced  to  fpeak 
as  he  thinks,  but  an  Hypocrite  wiflieth  to  fpeak 
otherwife  than  he  thinks,  whence  there  is  an  Op- 
pofition  in  the  Mouth,  by  Reafon  of  which  he  can 
only  mutter.  Howbeit,  Hypocrites  are  lighter  or 
more  grievous,  according  to  the  Confirmation  a- 
gainfl  God,  ^nd  Reafonings  exteriorly  in  Favour 
of  God.  A  FIFTH  Kind  of  PaoFANArioN  is 
COMMITTED  BY  THOSE,  'wbo  attribute  to  thcmfehes 
Things  Divi?ie :  Thefe  are  they  who  are  meant  by 
Lucifer  in  Ifaiah,  Chap,  xiv  :  By  Lucifer  is  there 
meant  Babel,  as  may  appear  from  Verfe  4th,  22d, 
of  that  Chapter,  where  aifo  their  Lot  is  defcribed  : 
The  fame  are  likewife  meant  and  defcribed  by  the 
Whore  fitting  upon  the  fcarlet  coloured  Bead,  in 
the  Revelation,  Chap.  xvii.  Babel  and  Chaldcea 
are  mentioned  in  many  Parts  of  the  Word,  and  by 
Babel  is  there  meant  Profanation  of  Good,  and  by 
Chaldsea  Profanation  of  Truth,  both  in  thofe  who 
attribute  Things  Divine  to  themfelves.  A  sixth 
Kind  of  Profanation  is  committed  by  those, 
ivho  acknowledge  the  Word^  and  yet  deny  the  Lord's 
Divinity :  Thefe  are  called  in  the  World  Socinians, 
and  fome  of  them  Arians ;  the  Lot  of  both  thefe  is, 
that  they  invoke  the  Father,  and  fome  of  them  alfo 
for  the  Sake  of  the  Son,  that  they  may  be  admitted 
into  Heaven,  bui  iu  vain  until  they  become  without 
Hope  of  Salvation  ;  and  they  are  then  let  down  in- 
to Hell  among  thofe  w^ho  deny  God  :  Thefe  are 
they  v^ho  are  meant  by  thofe  who  blafpheme  the 
Holy  Gholi,  who  will  not  be  forgiven  neither  in 
this  V/orld,  nor  in  that  which  i^  to  come.  Matt.  xiL 


The  Divine  Providence.         325 

52 :  The  Reafon  is,  becaufe  God  Is  one  in  P^rfoii 
and  in  EflTence,  in  whom  there  is  a  Trinity,  ani 
this  God  is  the  Lord  ;  and  forafmuch  as  the  Lord 
is  alfo  Heaven,  and  confeqiientfy  they  who  are  in 
Heaven  are  in  th^  Lord,  therefore  tliey  who  deny 
the  Lord's  Divinity  cannot  be  admitted  into  Heav- 
en, and  be  in  the  Lord  :  That  the  Lord  is  Heaven, 
and  that  thence  they  who  are  in  Heaven  are  in  the. 
Lord,  was  Ihew^n  above.  A  seventh  Kind  of 
Profanation  is  committed  by  those,  whofrjl 
acknowledge  Divine  Truths ^  and  live  according  to  them^ 
and  afterwards  recede  and  deny  them  ;  this  is  the 
word  Kind  of  Profanation,  by  Reafon  that  they  xmyi 
Things  holy  and  profane,  in  fuch  a  Manner,  that 
they  cannot  be  feparated,  and  yd  in  Order  to  their 
Admillion  either  into  Heaven  or  Hell,  they  mull  be 
feparated  ;  and  becaufe  in  fuch  Perfons  this  cannot 
be  effecled,  all  the  human  Intellectual  and  Voluntas 
ry  [Faculty]  is  deftroyed,  and  they  become  no  lonn;- 
er  Men,  as  was  faid  before.  It  is  nearly  the  fame 
with  thofe,  who  acknowledge  in  their  Hearts  the 
Divine  Things  of  the  Word  and  of  the  Church, 
and  entirely  immerfe  them  in  their  Proprium,  [fclf- 
ifli  Nature]  which  is  the  Love  of  having  Domin- 
ion over  every  Thing,  of  which  much  hath  been 
faid  above ;  for  thefe  after  Death,  when  they  be- 
come Spirits,  will  by  no  Means  be  led  of  the  Lord, 
but  entirely  of  themfelves,  and  when  their  Love  is 
not  reftrained,  they  defire  not  only  to  rule  over 
Heaven,  but  alfo  over  the  Lord ;  and  inafmuch  as 
they  cannot  do  fo,  they  deny  the  Lord,  and  become 
Pevils.  It  is  to  be  obferved,  that  the  Life's  Love, 
^'hLch  is  alfo  the  ruling  Love,  remains  in  every  one 

after 


326    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

after  Death,  and  that  it  cannot  be  removed.  The 
Profane  of  this  Kind  are  meant  by  the  Luke-warm, 
of  whom  it  is  thus  written  in  the  Revelation,  "  I  knozv^ 
ihy  Works ^  that  thou  art  neither  cold  nor  hoi ;  7  ivould 
ihou  wert  cold  or  hot ;  fo  then  hecauje  thou  art  7ieithcr 
cold  nor  hot^  I  willfpiie  thee  out  of  my  Mouth ^^^  iii.  14, 
15.  This  Kind  of  Profanation  is  thus  delcribed  by 
the  Lord  in  Matthew,  *'  When  the  unclean  Spirit  is 
gone  out  of  a  Man^  he  walketh  through  dry  P laces y 
fetklng  Reji^  hut  findeth  none  ;  then  hefaith^  I  will  re- 
turn into  the  Houfe  from  whence  I  came  out  ;  ajid  when 
he  is  come,  he  findeth  it  empty  ^  fwept.^  and  garmfned ; 
then  goeth  he  and  taketh*  with  himfelf feiyen  ether  Spirits 
more  wicked  than  b'mfelf  and  they  enter  in  and  dwell 
ihere  ;  and  the  lafl  State  of  that  Man  is  worfe  than 
the  firji^'  xii.  43,  45  ;  the  Converfion  of  a  Man  isj 
here  defcribed  by  the  unclean  Spirit's  going  out  of 
him ;  and  his  Returning  to  his  former  Evils,  after 
calling  out  Things  true  and  good,  is  defcribed  by 
the  Return  of  the  unclean  Spirit  with  feven  others 
more  wicked  than  himfelf  into  the  Houfe  which  he 
found  garnifhed  for  him  5  and  the  Profanation  of 
what  is  holy  by  what  is  profane,  is  defcribed  by  the 
lad  State  of  that  Man  being  worfe  than  the  firfl:. 
The  fame  is  underflood  by  this  PafTa^e  in  John, 
''  fefusfaid  to  him  who  was  healed  in  the  Lake  of  Be*. 
ihefda^fin  no  more,  lejl  a  worfe  Thing  hefal  thee^*  v,  14, 
That  the  Lord  provideth,  that  Man  may  not  interi- 
orly acknowledge  Truths,  and  afterwards  recede 
from  them  and  become  profane,  is  meant  by  thefe 
Words,  "  He  hath  blinded  their  Eyes^  and  harderied 
their  Hearty  that  they  fbould  not  fee  with  their  Eyes, 
nor  underfand  with  their  Heart ,  and  be  converted^  and 

Jjhoul4 


The  Divine  Providence.        327 

I  fiould  heal  tbsm^^-  John  xii.  40  ;  left  they  fhould 
be  converted  and  I  fhould  heal  them,  fignifies  lell 
they  fliould  acknowledge  Truths  and  then  recede, 
and  fo  become  proflme  :  For  the  fame  Reafon  the 
Lord  fpake  by  Parables,  as  He  Himfelf  faith,  Matt, 
xiii.  13.  The  Jews  being  forbid  to  eat  Fat  and 
Blood,  Levit.  iii,  17.  Chap.  vii.  23,  25,  fignified 
that  they  were  not  to  profane  Things  holy,  for  Fat 
fignified  Divine  Good,  and  Blood  Divine  Truth. 
That  Man  being  once  converted  ought  to  continue 
in  Good  and  Truth  to  his  Life's  End,  the  Lord 
teacheth  in  Matthew,  "  Jefusfaid^  he  that  endiireth 
to  the  End^  Jhall  be  favedy*  x.  22;  alfo  in  Mark 
xiii.  13. 

232.  IV.  That  therefore  the  Lord  doth  not  let  Man 
more  interiorly  into  the  Truths  of  Wifdom^  and  at  the 
fame  Time  into  the  Goods  of  Love ^  than  fo  far  as  he  can 
be  kept  in  them  to  the  End  of  Life.  In  demonftrat- 
ing  this  we  muft  proceed  diftindly,  for  two  Rea- 
fons,  firft,  becaufe  it  nearly  concerns  the  Salvation 
of  Mankind  ;  fecondly,  becaufe  on  a  Knowledge  of 
this  Law  depends  the  Knowledge  of  the  Laws  of 
Permiflion,  to  be  treated  of  in  the  following  Para- 
graph :  Firft,  it  nearly  concerns  the  Salvation  of 
Mankind  ;  for,  as  was  obferved  before,  he  who 
firft  acknowledgeth  the  Divine  Things  of  the 
Word  and  of  the  Church  thence  derived,  and  after- 
wards recedeth  from  them,  very  grievoufly  pro- 
fanes what  is  H  >ly.  Therefore  that  this  Arca- 
num of  the  Divine  Providence  may  be  unfolded  in 
fuch  a  Manner,  that  the  rational  Man  may  fee  it  in 
its  true  Light,  it  (hall  be  elucidated  in  the  following 
Series,     i.  Thatiu  the  Interiors  of  Man,  Evil  and 

Good 


;^^2S    Angelic  Wisdom  concerttino 

Good  c-annor  refide  together,  nor  confequently  th^^^ 
Falle  cf  Lvil  and  the  True  of  Good  at  the  fame  Time, 
^.  That  In  the  Interiors  of  Man  Good  and  the  True 
cf  Good  cannot  be  infufed  by  the  Lord,  except  in 
Proportion  as  Evil  and  the  Fahe  of  Evil  is  thence 
rciuoved.  3.  If  Good  with  its  True  were  infufed 
there  before,  or  in  greater  Proportion  than  as  Evil 
vss  removed  together  with  its  Falfe,  Man  would 
recede  from  Good  aud  return  to  his  Evil.  4.  That 
V  hen  Man  is  in  Evil,  many  Truths  may  be  infufed 
ino  his  Underftanding,  and  treafured  up  in  his 
]\lemory,  and  yet  not  be  profaned,  5.  But  that  • 
the  Lord  by  his  Divine  Providence  inoft  particular- 
ly provideth,  that  they  be  not  received  thence  by 
the  Will,  fooner  or  in  greater  Proportion,  than  as 
Man  removeth  Evils  in  the  external  Man,  as  if  of 
lamfelf.  6.  That  if  they  were  received  fooner,  or 
in  greater  Proportion,  then  the  Will  would  adulte- 
rate the  Good,  and  the  Underftanding  would  falfify 
the  True,  by  mixing  thern  with  Evils  and  Falfes. 
7.  Th?t  therefore  the  Lord  doth  not  let  Man  more 
interiorly  into  the  Truths  of  Faith  and  the  Goods 
Oi  Love,  than  fo  far  as  Man  can  be  kept  in  them  to 
the  End  of  Life. 

233.  In  Order  therefore  that  this  Arcanum  of 
the  Divine  Providence  may  be  difclofed,  in  fuch  a 
i^anner  that  the  rational  Man  may  fee  it  in  his 
X^Ight,  the  Things  which  have  been  now  adduced 
xhalJ  be  feveraliy  explained.  First  :  That  in  the  hi* 
Uriors  of  Man^  Evii  and  Good  cannot  ref.de  together  at 
the  fame  Tinie^  covfeqiiently  7ieither  can  the  Falfe  of  E- 
vil  a7id  the  True  of  Good :  By  the  Interiors  of  Man 
is  meant  the  Internal  of  his  Thought^  of  which  Man 

doth 


The  Divine  Providence. 


329 


doth  not  know  any  Thing,  before  he  comes  into  the 
fpiritual  World  and  its  Light,  which  is  the  Cafe  after 
Death  ;  in  the  natural   World  this  can   only  be 
known  from  the  Delight  of  his  Love  in  the  Exter- 
nal of  his  Thought,  and  from  Evils  themfelves, 
when  he  explores  them  in  himfelf ;  for,  as  was  fhewn 
above,  the  Internal  of  Thought  in  Man  coheres 
with  the  External  of  Thought  in  fo  intimate  a  State 
of  Connexion,  that  they  cannot  be  feparated  ;  but 
of  this  more  may  be  feen  above.     It  is  faid.  Good 
and  the  True  of  Good,  and  Evil  and  the  Falfe  of 
Evil,  inafmuch  as  Good  cannot  exift   without  its: 
True,  nor  Evil  without  its  Falfe,  becaufe  they  are 
connubial  Partners  or  Conforts,  for  the  Life   of 
Good  is  from  its  True,  and  the  Life  of  True  from 
its  Good ;  it  is  the  fame  with  Evil  and  its  Falfe. 
That  in  the  Interiors  of  Man  Evil  cannot  exid  with 
its  Falfe,  and 'at  the  fame  Time  Good  with  its  True, 
may  be  feen  by  the  rational  Man  without  Explana- 
tion^ for  Evil  is  oppofite  to  Good,  and  Good  is  op- 
J)ofite  to  Evil,  and  two  Oppontes  cannot  refide  to- 
gether :  There  is  alfo  in  all  Evil  an  inherent  Hatred - 
againfl  Good,  and  in  all  Good  an  inherent  Love  of 
defending  itfelf  againfl  Evil,  and  removing  the  fame 
from  it ;  from  which  Confideration  it  follows,  that 
the  one  cannot  dwell  with  the  other ;  and  if  they 
tvere  together,  firfl  a  Conflid  and  Combat  would 
arife,  and  Deftrudion  would  follow  ;  which  alfo  the 
Lord  teacheth  in  thefe  Words,  "  Every  Kingdom 
divided  againft  itfelf  is  brought  to  Defolation  ;  and 
every  City  or  Houfe  divided  againfl  itfelf  iliall  not 
ftand.     He  that  is  not  with  Me  is  againfl  Me,  and 
he  that  gathereth  not  wuh  Me  fcattereth  abroadj'* 
S  s  Matt, 


330    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Matt.  xli.  25,  30  ;  and  in  other  Places.  "  No  one 
can  at  the  fame  Time  ferve  two  Mafters,  for  he  will 
either  hate  the  one  or  love  the  other,"  Matt.  vi.  24^ 
Two  Oppofites  cannot  exiil  together  in  one  Sub- 
ftance,  or  lorm,  witnout  its  being  diflraded  and 
perifiiing ;  in  Cafe  one  were  to  advance  and  ap- 
proach the  other,  rhej  would  fep.arate  themfelves 
altogether  like  two  Enemies,  one  of  which  would 
retire  within  his  Camp  or  Fortifications,  and  the  oth- 
er would  remain  without  t  This  is  the  Cafe  with 
Evils  and  Goods  in  a  Hypocrite;  fuch  a  one  is  in 
botli ;  but  Evil  is  Vv?ithin  and  Good  is  without,  and 
thus  they  arefeparate  and  not  mixed.  Secondly  t 
Tbat  Good  and  the  True  of  Good  cannot  be  infufed  by 
ihe  Lord  into  the  hiteriors  of  Man^  hut  in  Froportionk 
as  Evil  and  the  Falfe  ^f  Evil  is  removed  from  thence  : 
This  is  a  neceiTary  Confequence  of  what  precedes  j 
for  fmce  Evil  and  Good  cannot  be  together.  Good 
cannot  be  implanted  before  Evil  is  removed.  It  ia 
faid  in  the  Inreriors  of  Man,  by  which  is  meant  the 
Internal  of  Thought  \  thefe  Interiors  are  what  are- 
here  treated  of,  in  which  either  the  Lord  muft  dwell, 
or  the  Devil ;  the  Lord  is  there  after  Reformation^ 
and  the  Devil  is  there  before  it  ;  therefore  in  Pro^ 
portion  as  Man  fuSers  himfelf  to  be  reformed,  ia 
the  fame  Proportion  the  Devil  is  caft  out^  but  ia 
Proportion  as  he  doth  not  fbffer  himfelf  to.  be  re- 
formed, in  the  fame  Proportion  the  Devil  remain- 
eth  :  Who  cannot  fee,  that  the  Lord  cannot  enter^ 
fo  long  as  the  Devil  is  there,  and  he  is  there  fo  long 
as  Man  keepeth  the  Door  fliut,  which  Man  is  in 
PofTeflion  of  together  with  the  Lord  ;  that  the  Lord 
eatereth,  when  th^it  Door  is  opened  by  Means  of 

Man;, 


The  Divine  Providence.        331 

Man,  He  HInifelf  teacheth  in  the  Revelation,  "  I 
ftand  at  the  Door  and  knock ;  if  any  Man  hear  my 
Voice  and  open  tlie  Door,  I  will  come  in  to  him,  and 
will  fup  with  him,  and  he  with  Me,"  iii.  20  ;  the 
Door  is  opened  by  Man's  removing  Evil  by  fhun- 
ning  and  avoiding  it  as  infernal  and  diabolical ;  for 
whether  it  be  called  Evil,  or  the  Devil,  it  is  the  fame 
Thing ;  and  on  the  other  Hand,  whether  you  fay 
Good,  or  the  Lord,  it  is  the  fame  Thing ;  for  in- 
wardly in  all  Good  the  Lord  dwelleth.,  and  in  all 
Evil  inwardly  the  Devil  dwelleth.  Hence  the  Truth 
of  this  Pofition  is  evident.  Thirdly  :  If  Good 
with  its  True  were  infufcdfooner^  or  in  greater  Pro^. 
fortion^  than  as  Evil  and  its  Falfe  is  removed^  Man, 
would  recede  from  Good  and  return  to  his  Evil :  The 
Reafon  is,  becaufe  lEvil  would  prevail,  and  that 
ivhich  prevails,  conquereth,  '^  not  at  the  Time,  nev- 
^rthelefs  afterwards  j  while  Evil  continues  to  prevail. 
Good  cannot  be  introduced  into  the  inmofl  Apart- 
jnents,  (intiina  Conclavia)  but  only  into  the  outer 
Courts,  by  Reafon,  as  was  faid,  that  Evil  and  Good 
cannot  be  together^  and  that  whicji  is  only  in  the 
x>uter  Courts,  is  removed  by  its  Enemy  which  is  in 
the  inner  Apartments,  whereby  there  is  a  ReceiTion 
from  Good  and  a  Return  to  Evil,  which  is  the  worft 
Kind  of  Profanation.  Bcfides,  the  very"  Delight  of 
Man's  Life  is  to  love  himfelf  and  thp  World  above 
all  Things ;  this  Delight  cannot  be  removed  in  a 
Moment,  but  muft  be  done  fuccefTively  ;  but  accord- 
ing to  the  Proportion  of  this  Delight  which  remain- 
ethin  Man,  in  the  fame  Proportion  is  the  Prevalence 
of  Evil ;  and  this  Evil  can  no  othcrwife  be  removed, 
|h?,n  by  making  the  Love  of  Self  to  become  the  Love 

pf 


332    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

of  Ufes,  and  admitting  the  Love  of  Rule,  not  fo^ 
the  Sake  of  Self,  but  for  the  Sake  of  being  ufeful, 
for  fo  Ufe$  conftitute  the  Head,  and  the  Love  of 
Self  or  the  Love  of  Rule  at  firft  conflitute  the  Body 
under  that  Head,  .and  afterwards  the  Feet  upon 
which  he  walketh ':  Who  doth  not  fee  that  Good 
conflitutes  the  Head,  and  that  when  Good  conili- 
tutes  the  Head,  the  Lord  is  there.  Good  and  Ufe  be- 
ing one  ?  Who  doth  not  fee,  that  if  Evil  conflitutes 
the  Head,  the  Devil  is  there,  and  fince  neverthelefs 
civil  and  moral  Good,  and  alfo  fpiritual  Good  in  its 
external  Form,  are  to  be  received,  that  thefe  then 
conflitute  the  Feet,  ^nd  the  Soles  of  the  Feet,  and 
are  trampled  upon  t  Therefore  inafmuch  as  the  State 
of  Man's  Life  is  to  be  inverted,  fo  that  what  is 
^bove  may  be  placed  below,  and  this  Converfion 
cannot  be  effeded  in  a  Moment,  (for  that  fupremc 
Pelight  of  Life,  which  proceeds  from  the  Love  of 
Self  and  thence  of  Dominion,  cannot  be  diminifhed 
except  fucceflively,  and  fo  changed  into  the  Love  of 
Ufes,)  for  this  Reafon  Good  cannot  be  infufed  or 
introduced  by  the  Lord  fooner,  or  in  greater  Quanr 
tity,  than  in  Proportion  as  Evil  is  removed ;  and  if 
it  were  infiifed  fopner,  and  in  greater  Quantity, 
Man  would  recede  from  Good  and  return  to  his 
Evil.  Fourthly  :  Thai  when  Man  is  in  Evil^  many 
truths  may  he  introduced  into  his  Under/landings  and 
il:>efe  Jlored  up  in  the  Memory ^  and  yet  not  profaned  : 
The  Reafon  is,  becaufe  the  Underflanding  doth  not 
flow  into  the  Will,  but  the  Will  into  the  Uhder- 
jtanding  ;  and  fcrafmuch  as  the  Underilanding, 
doth  not  jflow  into  the  Will,  many  Truths  may  be 
received  by  it,  and  llored  up  in  the  Memory,  and 

yet 


The  Divine  Providence.      -  33J 

yet  not  mixed  with  the  Evil  of  the  Will,  and  fo 
what  is  holy  is  not  profaned  :  Moreover  it  is  incum- 
bent on  every  one  to  learn  Truths  from  the  Word, 
or  from  Preachings,  to  depofit  them  in  the  Memo- 
ry, and  to  think  of  them  ;  for  the  Underllanding, 
from  the  Truths  which  are  in  the  Memory,  and 
thence  enter  into  the  Thought,  ought  to  teach  the 
Will,  that  is,  teach  the  Man,  what  he  ought  to  do ; 
this  therefore  is  a  principal  Means  of  Reformation  : 
When  Truths  are  only  in  the  Underftanding  and 
thence  in  the  Memory,  they  are  not  in  a  Man,  but 
without  hirn.  The  Memory  of  Man  may  be  corn- 
pared  with  the  ruminatory  Stomach  of  Animal$ 
which  chew  the  Cud,  in  which  they  depofit  their 
Food,  which,  fo  long  as  it  is  there,  is  not  in  their 
Body,  but  out  of  it,  but  as  foon  as  they  bring  it  up 
thence,  and  after  chewing,  digeft  it,  it  entereth  into 
the  Life  and  r^ourifheth  the  Body  :*  It  is  the  Love 
of  the  Will  which  hath  a  Defire,  and  as  it  were  an 
Appetite  for  Truths  thus  depofited,  and  caufeth 
them  to  be  imbibed  and  converted  to  Nourifliment ; 
if  that  Love  is  evil,  it  hath  a  Defire  and  as  it  were 
an  Appetite  for  unclean  Things ;  but  if  good,  it 
hath  a  Defire,  and  as  it  were  an  Appetite  for  clean 
Things ;  and  the  Things  which  do  not  accord  there- 
with  it  feparates,  putteth  away,  and  calleth  out, 
which  is  effe6led  by  various  Means.  Fifthly  : 
But  that  the  Lord  by  his  Divine  Fronyidcnce  efpecially 

provldeth 

*  fn  Man's  Memory,  however,  the  Provl/Ion  ftored  up  is  nqt  natural, 
jbut  fpihtual,  which  is  meant  by  'I'ruths,  and  in  itfclf  coniills  of  Kno\vl- 
cdges  ;  and  in  Proportion  as  Man,  by  the  Exercife  of  his  thinking  Prin- 
ciple, which  is  a  Kind  of  Rumination  (or  chcM'ing  the  Cud,)  brings  it 
}ip  thence,  in  the  fame  Proportion  his  fpiritual  ^Xmd  is  nourilhcd.     Tft, 


554    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

p'ovideth  that  they  be  not  received  thence  by  the  WilL 
fooner  or  in  greater  Proportion^  than  as  Man  removetb 
Evil  in  the  external  Man  as  if  of  hinijelf ;  for  that 
which  Cometh  from  the  Will,  entereth  into  the  Man, 
and  is  appropriated  to  him,  and  becometh  the  Prin- 
ciple of  his  Life  ;  and  in  the  Life  itfelf,  which  Man 
hath  from  the  Will,  Evil  and  Good  cannot  be  to- 
gether, for  in  fuch  Cafe  he  would  perifli ;  but  both 
may  be  in  the  Underllanding,  which  are  there  call- 
ed Falfes  of  Evil,  or  Truths  of  Good,  yet  not  to° 
gether,  for  In  fuch  Cafe  Man  would  not  be  able  tcj 
know  Evil  from  Good  or  Good  from  Evil ;  but 
they  are  diflinguifhed  and  feparated  there  like  a 
Houfe  into  interior  and  exterior  {^Apartments  y^ 
when  a  wicked  Man  thinketh  and  fpeaketh  good 
Things,  then  he  thinketh  and  fpeaketh  exteriorly, 
but  v.'hen  he  thinketh  arid  fpeaketh  evil  Things,  then 
he  tiiinketh  and  fpeaketh  interiorly,  wherefore  wher^ 
he  fpeaketh  good  Things,  his  Speech  iifueth  as  it 
were  from  the  Wall  of  the  Houfe,  and  may  be 
compared  to  Fruit  which  is  fair  on  the  Outfide,  but 
worm-eaten  and  rotten  within,  and  alfo  to  the  out- 
fide Shell  of  a  Dragon's  Egg.  Sixthly  :  That  if 
ihey  ivere  received  fooner  and  in  greater  Proportion^ 
then  the  Will  would  adulterate  the  Good,  and  the  Uii- 
derfianding  woidd  falfify  the  True^  by  ?nixing  them 
with  Evils  and  their  confequent  Falfes :  When  the 
Will  is  in  Evil,  then  it  adulterates  Good  in  the  Un- 
derllanding, and  Good  adulterated  in  the  Under- 
ftanding  is  Evil  in  the  Will,  for  it  confirmeth  the 
Perfuafion  that  Evil  is  Good,  and  vice  vcrfa  ;  Evil 
doeth  thus  with  all  Good  which  is  oppofite  to  it- 
felf 5  for  Evil  falfifieth  the  True,  becaufe  the  True 

^f 


The  Divine  Providence.        ^35 

df  Good  is  oppofite  to  the  Falfe  of  Evil ;  ^this  alfo 
the  Will  doeth  in  the  Underftanding,  and  not  the 
Underflanding  from  itfelf.     Adulterations  of  Good 
are  defcribed  in  the  Word  by  Adulteries,  and  Fal- 
fifications  of  Truth  by  Whoredoms.     Thefe  Adul- 
terations and  Falfifications  are  effected  by  Reafon- 
ings  from  the  natural  Man  which  is  in  Evil,  and 
they  are  alfo  effeded  by  Confirmations  from  the  Ap- 
pearances of  the  literal  Senfe  of  the  Word.     Self- 
Love,  which   is  the  Head  of  all  Evils,  is  more  in- 
genious than  other  Loves  in  adulterating  Goods  and 
falfifying  Truths,  and  this  it  doeth  by  the  Abufe  of 
Rationality,  which  every^  Man  hath  from  the  Lord, 
as  well  the  Wicked  as  the  Good ;    yea,  it  can  by 
Confirmations  caufe  Evil  to  appear  altogether  as 
Good,  and  the  Falfe  as  True  :  What  can  it  not  do, 
when  it  can  confirm,  by  a  thoufand  Arguments, 
that  Nature  created  herfeif,  and  that  then  fhe  crea- 
ted Men,  Beads,  and  Vegetables  of  all  Kinds  ?  And 
further,  that  by  Influx  from  her  interior  Self  \^ex  in- 
ieriorife\  flie  caufeth  Men  to  live,  to  think  analyt- 
ically, and  to  underlland  wifely  ?  The  Reafon  why 
Self-Love  excels  in  the  Art  of  confirming  whatfoev- 
er  it  will,  is,  becaufe  its  ultimate  Surface  is  conftitu- 
ted  by  a  certain  Splendor  of  Light  variegated  into 
divers  Colours ;  this  Splendor  is  that  Love's  Glo- 
ry of  acquiring  Wifdom,  and  thereby  alfo  Eminence 
and  Dominion.     But  when  this  Love  hath  confirm- 
ed fuch  Tenets,  then  it  becometh  fo  blind,  that  it 
doth  not  fee  otherwife  than  that  Man  is  a  Beafl, 
and  that  they  think  alike,  yea  that  if  a  Bead  could 
fpeak  alfo,  it  would  be  a  Man  in  another  Form  :  If 
it  b$  led  by  any  Perfuafion  to  believe,  that  any 

Thing 


y 


336    Angelig  Wisdom  concerninc^ 

Thing  of  Man  liveth  after  Death,  then  it  15  fo  blinci^ 
that  it  thinketh  Beafts  do  the  fame,  and  that  this 
Somewhat  living  after  Death  is  only  a  fubdle  Ex- 
halation of  Life,  like  Vapour,  which  neverthelefs  re- 
bpfes  to  its  dead  Body .;  or  that  it  is  a  vital  Some- 
x^hat,  without  Sight^  Hearing,  and  Speech,  confe- 
quently  blind,  deaf  and  diimb,  hovering  about  and 
thinking  ;  not  to  mention  other  infane  Ideas,  which 
Nature  herfelf,  though  in  herfelf  void  of  Life,  in-» 
fpires  into  his  Phantafy  :  Such  is  the  EfFe6l  of  Self- 
Love,  which  viewed  in  itfcif  is  the  Love  of  Man's 
Froprium,  and  the  Proprium  of  Man^  with  Refped 
to  its  Affe^SlionSj  w^hich  are  all  natural,  is  not  un* 
like  the  Life  of  a  Beaft,  and  with  Refped  to  its  Per- 
ceptions, becaufe  they  proceed  from  thofe  Affec- 
tions, is  not  unlike  an  Owl :  Wherefore  he  who 
continually  immerfes  his  Thoughts  in  his  Proprium, 
cannot  be  elevated  out  of  natural  Light  into  fpiritu- 
al  Light,  and  fee  any  Thing  of  God,  of  Heaven, 
and  of  Life  eternal.  Forafmuch  as  this  Love  is  of 
fuch  a  Nature,  and  yet  excels  in  the  Art  of  confirm* 
ing  whatfoever  it  will,  therefore  with  the  fame  Art 
it  can  alfo  adulterate  the  good  Things  of  the  Word, 
and  falfify  its  Truths,  when  it  is  conftrained  through 
any  Kind  of  Necefiity  to  confefs  them.  Seventh- 
ly :  That  therefore  the  Lord  doth,  not  let  Marl  tiiori 
interiorly  into  the  Truths  of  Wifdom^  and  the  Goods  of 
Love^  thanfo  far  as  Man  can  be  kept  i?i  them  to  his 
Life's  End :  This  the  Lord  doeth,  left  Man  fliould 
fall  into  that  moft  j^rievous  Kind  of  Profanation  of 
Things  Holy,  which  is  treated  of  in  this  Article ; 
by  R  ealcn  of  this  Danger,  the  Lord  alfo  permitteth 
Erili  of  Life,  and  many  Herefies  relating  to  Wor- 

Ihipi 


The  Divine  Providence,        337 

(liip ;  concerning  the  PermifTion  of  which  the  Read- 
er is  referred  to  what  is  fhewn  in  the  fubfequent 
Paragraphs. 


That  the  Laws  of  Permiffion  aljo  art 
Laws  of  the  Divine  Providence. 

234.  •TP'HERE  are  not  any  Laws  of  Permiflion 
JL  by  themfelves,  or  feparate  from  the  Laws 
of  the  Divine  Providence,  but  they  are  the  fame, 
wherefore  it  is  faid  that  God  permitteth,  whereby  it 
is  not  meant  that  he  willeth,  but  that  he  cannot  pre- 
vent fuch  a  Thing,  by  Reafon  of  the  End  propofed, 
which  is  Salvation  ;  whatfoever  is  done  to  the  End 
that  Salvation  may  be  effected,  is  according  to  the 
Laws  of  the  Divine  Providence  ;  for,  as  was  obferv- 
cd  before,  the  Divine  Providence  conftantly  pro- 
teeds  in  a  Manner  different  and  contrary  to  the 
Will  of  Man,  keeping  this  End  continually  in  View, 
ivherefore  in  every  Moment  of  its  Operation,  or  in 
every  Step  of  its  ProgrefTion,  when  it  perceiveth 
Man  to  deviate  from  this  End,  it  diredeth,  turneth, 
and  difpofeth  him,  by  withdrawing  him  from  Evil, 
and  leading  him  to  Good  ;  that  this  cannot  be  done 
yithout  the  Permiffion  of  Evil,  will  be  feen  in  what 
follows.  Befides,  Nothing  can  be  permitted  with- 
out a  Reafon,  and  the  Reafon  exifts  no  where  elfe, 
but  in  fome  Law  of  the  Divine  Providence,  which 
Law  teacheth  why  fuch  a  Thing  is  permitted, 

T  T  235.  He 


338^    Angelic  Wisdom  caNCERNiNo 

22,S'  He  who  doth  not  at  all  acknowledge  the 
Divine  Providence,  doth  not  in  his  Heart  acknowl-' 
edge  God,  but  inftead  of  God  he  acknowledgeth 
Nature,  and  indead  of  the  Divine  Providence,  hu- 
man Prudence  ;  that  tliis  is  the  Cafe,  is  not  appar- 
ent, becaufe  Man  can  think  differently  from  differ- 
ent Grounds,  [_potefi  aliter  cogitare  et  cogitare^  and 
can  alfo  fpeak  differently  from  different  Grounds^ 
for  he  can  think  and  fpeak  one  Thing  from  his  in- 
terior Self  [_ex  i7iteriorife^  and  another  Thing  from 
his  exterior  Self  [jib  extericrife  ;]  it  is  like  a  Hinge 
by  which  a  Door  can  be  turned  both  Ways,  one 
Way  when  a  Perfon  comes  in,  and  another  Way 
■when  he  goes  out  y  and  like  as  a  Sail  can  turn  a 
Ship  in  different  Diredions,  according  to  the  Man« 
ner  in  which  it  is  expanded  by  the  Mariner.  They 
who  have  confirmed  themfelves  in  Favour  of  hu- 
man Prudence,  in  fuch  a  Manner  as  to  deny  the 
Divine  Providence,  fuch  Perfons,  whatfoever  they 
fee,  hear,  and  read,  whilfl  they  are  under  the  Influ- 
ence of  this  their  own  Way  of  thinking,  do  not  ob= 
ferve  or  attend  to  any  Thing  elfe,  yea  neither  can 
they,  becaufe  they  receive  Nothing  from  Heaven^ 
but  only  from  themfelves  3  and  inafmuch  as  they 
form  Conclufions  from  Appearances  and  Fallacies 
alone,  and  do  not  fee  any  Thing  elfe,  they  can  fwear 
that  it  is  fo  ;  and  if  they  alfo  acknowledge  Nature 
alone,  they  can  be  angry  with  the  Defenders  of  the 
Divine  Providence,  provided  they  be  not  Priefts,  of 
whom  they  think  that  they  are  led  to  fuch  Defence 
in  Compliance  with  their  particular  Tenets  and 
Fundion- 

235,  We 


The  Divine  Providence.        335 


i£3( 


\6.  We  fliall  now  proceed  to  enumerate  fome 
^particular  Things  which  are  by  Permiflion,  and  yet 
according  to  the  Laws  of  the  Divine  Providence, 
from  which  the  merely  natural  Man  confirms  him- 
felf  in  Favour  of  Nature  againft  God,  and  in  Favour 
of  human  Prudence  againft  the  Divine  Providence  ; 
as  when  he  readeth  in  the  Word,  that  Adam,  the 
-wifeft  of  Men,  and  his  Wife,  fufFered  themfelves  to 
t)e  feduced  by  the  Serpent,  and  that  God  did  not 
avert  this  by  his  Divine  Providenceo  That  their 
^rft  Son,  Cain,  flew  his  Brother  Abel,  and  God  did 
not  then  with-hold  him  by  fpeaking  to  him,  but 
x)nly  denounced  a  Curfe  againft  him  after  the  Ad. 
That  the  Ifraelitifti  Nation  worftiipped  a  golden  Calf 
in  the  Wildernefs,  and  acknowledged  it  as  the  God 
which  brought  them  out  of  the  Land  of  Egypt, 
when  neverthelefs  Jehovah  faw  this  not  far  off  from 
Mount  Sinai,  and  did  not  prevent  it,  Alfo  that  Da- 
vid numbered  the  People,  and  therefore  a  Peftilence 
was  fent  among  them,  whereby  fo  many  Thoufands 
of  Men  periftied,  and  that  God  did  not  fend  the 
Prophet  Gad  to  him  before,  but  after  the  A6:,  to 
denounce  Punifliment,  That  Solomon  was  permit- 
ted to  eftablilli  idolatrous  Worftiip  :  And  many 
Kings  after  him-to  profane  the  Temple  and  holy 
Things  of  the  Church  :  And  laftly,  that  that  Na- 
tion was  permitted  to  crucify  the  Lord.  In  thcfe 
and  many  other  Paflages  in  the  Word,  the  Ac- 
knowledger of  Nature  and  of  human  Prudence  fees 
Nothing  but  what  makes  againft  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, wherefore  he  can  ufe  them  as  Arguments  to 
deny  it,  if  not  in  his  exterior  Thought  which  is  near- 
^      '  ^ft 


340    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

eft  to  Speech,  yet  in  his  interior  Thought  which  is 
remote  from  it. 

237.  Every  Worfhipper  of  himfelf  and  of  Nature 
confirms  himfelf  againft  the  Divine  Providence, 
when  he  fees  in  the  World  fo  many  impious  Per- 
fons^  and  fo  many  "impieties  committed  by  them, 
and  at  the  fame  Time  that  many  glory  in  them, 
and  yet  they  are  not  followed  by  any  Punifhments 
from  God.  And  ftill  more  doth  he  confirm  himfelf 
againft  the  Divine  Providence,  when  he  fees  that 
wicked  Contrivances,  Cunning,  and  Deceit  fucceed, 
even  againft  the  pious,  the  juft,  and  the  fmcere  : 
And  that  Injuftice  triumphs  over  Juftice  in  Judg- 
ments and  Negociations.  And  efpecially  he  con- 
firms himfelf,  when  he  fees  the  Impious  advanced 
to  Honours,  and  made  Nobles  and  Primates  :  More- 
over that  they  abound  in  Riches,  and  live  elegantly 
and  magnificently  5  and  on  the  other  Hand  that  the 
Worftiippers  of  God  are  in  Contempt  and  Poverty. 
He  likewife  confirms  himfelf  againft  the  Divine 
Providence,  when  he  thinks  how  Wars  are  permit- 
ted, and  thereby  fo  many  Men  fiaughtered,  and  fo 
many  Cities,  Nations,  and  Families  plundered  ;  and 
moreover,  that  Vidory  inclines  to  the  Side  of  Pru- 
dence, and  not  al\yays  in  Favour  of  Juftice ;  and  that  it 
makes  no  Difference  whether  the  General  be  a  good 
or  a  wicked  Man  ;  befides  other  fuch  like  Circum- 
flances  ;  which  are  all  PermifTions  according  to  the 
Laws  of  the  Divine  Providence. 

238.  The  fame  natural  Man  confirms  himfelf 
againft  the  Divine  Providence,  when  he  takes  a 
View  of  the  Religious  of  various  Nations,  as  tkac 
^here  are  fome  who  know  Nothing  at  all  of  God  ^ 


The  Divine  Providence.        341 

and  that  there  are  fome  who  worfhip  the  Sun  and 
Moon;  fome  alfo  who  worfhip  Idols  and  gravca 
images  even  of  Monfters  ;  and  likewife  fome  who 
worfliip  dead  Men.  Moreover  when  he  confiders 
the  Mahometan  Religion,  that  it  is  received  by  fo 
many  Empires  and  Kingdoms ;  and  that  the  Chrif- 
tian  Religion  prevails  only  in  the  fmallefl  Quarter  of 
the  habitable  Globe,  which  is  called  Europe  ;  and 
that  even  there  it  is  in  a  State  of  Divifion  ;  and  that 
there  are  fome  of  its  Profeflbrs,  who  claim  to  them- 
felves  Divine  Power,  and  defire  to  be  worfhipped  as 
Gods ;  and  invoke  dead  Men  ;  and  alfo  that  there 
are  fome  who  place  Salvation  in  certain  Words 
which  they  think  and  fpeak,  and  not  in  any  Good 
they  do  ;  moreover  that  there  are  few  who  live  ac- 
cording to  their  own  Religion  ;  befides  taking  into 
the  Account  the  great  Number  of  Herefies  which 
have  heretofore  prevailed,  and  fome  which  exifl  at 
this  Day,  fuch  as  thofe  of  the  Quakers,  Moravians, 
Anabaptifls,  and  others  ;  alfo  that  Judaifm  ftill  con- 
tinues. The  Denier  of  the  Divine  Providence  from 
thefe  Things  concludes,  that  Religion  in  itfelf  is  not 
any  Thing,  but  yet  that  it  is  neceflary,  becaufe  it 
ierves  to  keep  Mankind  within  Bounds. 

239.  To  thefe  Arguments  more  may  at  this  Day 
be  added,  by  which,  they  who  think  inwardly  in 
Favour  of  Nature,  and  of  human  Prudence,  may 
ftill  more  ftrongly  confirm  themfelves  in  their  Sen- 
timents ;  as  that  the  whole  Chriftian  World  hath 
acknowledged  three  Gods,  not  knowing  that  God 
is  one  in  Perfon  and  in  ElTence,  and  that  that  God  is 
the  Lord.  Alfo  that  heretofore  it  was  not  known, 
jthat  in  all  the  Particulars  of  the  Word  there  is  a  fpir- 

itual 


342    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

itual  Senfe,  and  that  Its  San£lity  confills  therein  : 
And  further  that  it  was  not  known,  that  effential 
Chridian  Rehgion  confifts  in  fliunning  Evils  a§ 
Sins  :  As  alfo,  that  hitherto  it  was  not  known, 
that  Man  liveth  as  a  Man  after  Death  ;  for  the  Fa- 
vourers of  Nature  may  fay  with  thenifelves  and 
among  each  other,  if  thefe  Things  be  true,  why 
hath  the  Divine  Providence  never  revealed  them 
till  now  ? 

240.  All  the  particular  Things  which  zre  recited 
in  the  Numbers  237,  238,  and  239,  are  adduced  to 
the  End  that  it  may  be  feen,  that  all  and  fingular 
the  Things  w^hich  occur  in  the  World,  as  well  to 
the  Wicked  as  the  Good,  are  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence ;  confequently  that  the  Divine  Providence 
operates  in  the  mod  minute  Particulars  of  the 
Thoughts  and  Adions  of  Men,  and  that  thereby  it 
operates  univerfally.  But  inafmuch  as  this  cannot 
be  feen  therein,  except  each  Particular  be  explained 
feparately,  therefore  they  fhall  briefly  be  explained^ 
in  the  Order  in  which  they  were  adduced,  begin- 
ning with  n.  236. 

241.  I.  T/jat  Ada?n^  the  wifejl  of  Men^  and  his 
Wife^  fuffered  ihemfekoes  to  be  /educed  by  the  Serpent^ 
and  that  God  did  not  prevent  this  by  his  Divi?ie  Prov^ 
idence :  The  Reafon  is,  becaufe  by  Adam  and  his 
Wife  are  not  meant  the  firfl  of  all  the  Men  that 
were  created  in  this  World,  but  the  Men  of  the. 
mod  ancient  Church,  whofe  new  Creation  or  Re^ 
generation  is  defcribed  at  the  Beginning  of  Genefis  ^ 
their  new  Creation  or  Regeneration  itfelf  is  fignified 
by  the  Creation  of  Heaven  and  Earth  in  the  firfl 
Chapter  j   their  Wifdom  and  Intelligence  by  ths 

Garden 


The  Divine  Providence.         34;; 

Garden  of  Eden  ;  and  the  End  of  that  Church  by 
then*  Eating  of  the  Tree  of  Knowledge  :  For  the 
Word  internally  is  fpiritual,  containing  within  its 
Bofom  Arcana  of  Divine  Wifdom,  and  in  Order 
that  thefe  Arcana  may  be  therein  contained^  it  is 
written  by  mere  Correfpondences  and  Reprefenta- 
tions.  From  thefe  Correfpondences  and  Reprefen- 
tations  it  is  evident,  that  the  Men  of  that  Church, 
who  in  its  Beginning  were  the  mod  wife,  and  in  its 
End,  by  Reafon  of  the  Pride  of  their  Self-derived 
Intelligence,  were  the  moft  wicked,  were  not  fedu- 
ced  by  any  Serpent,  but  by  Self-Love,  which  is 
there  denoted  by  the  Head  of  the  Serpent,  which  is 
to  be  bruifed  by  the  Seed  of  the  Woman,  that  is, 
by  the  Lordo  Who  cannot  fee  from  Reafon,  that 
other  Things  are  underftcod,  different  from  what 
are  here  hiftorically  recorded  in  the  Letter  ?  For 
who  c:kn  comprehend,  that  the  Creation  of  the 
World  could  have  been  fuch  as  it  is  there  de- 
fcribed  ?  Wherefore  alfo  the  Learned  are  much  puz- 
zled to  explain  what  is  contained  in  the  firft  Chap- 
ter, and  confefs  after  all,  that  they  do  not  under- 
Hand  it :  Moreover  it  is  faid,  that  in  their  Garden 
or  Paradife  there  were  placed  two  Trees,  the  one 
of  Life,  and  the  other  of  Knowledge,  and  thefe  for 
a  flumbling  Block ;  as  alfo,  that  barely  by  eating 
of  the  latter,  they  linned  fo  greatly,  that  not  only 
they,  but  alfo  the  whole  human  Race,  their  Pofter- 
ity,  became  obnoxious  to  Damnation  ;  likevvife  that 
a  Serpent  was  able  to  feduce  them,  befidcs  other 
Circumftances,  as  that  the  Woman  was  created  out 
of  a  Rib  of  the  Man ;  that  they  knew  that  they 
were  naked  after  their  Fall,  and  covered  themfelves 

with 


344   Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

v/ith  Fig  Leaves,  and  that  Coats  of  Skins  were  gir^ 
en  them  to  clothe  their  Bodies;  and  Cherubim- 
were  placed  with  a  flaming  Sword  to  keep  the  Way 
of  the  Tree  of  Life.  All  thefe  Things  are  Repre- 
fentatives,  by  which  are  defcribed  the  Eftablifhment 
of  the  mofl  ancient  Church,  its  State  of  Perfedion^ 
its  Decline,  and  laftly  its  Deftrodion  r  The  con- 
cealed Meaning  of  all  the  Things  contained  in  the 
fpiritual  Senfe,  which  r'efides  in  every  Particular  of 
the  Word,  may  be  feen  explained  in  The  Arca- 
na CcELESTiA  on  the  Books  of  Genefis  and  Exb^ 
dus,  publifhed  in  London  ;  from  which  it  may  alfo 
appear,  that  by  the  Tfec  of  Life  is  there  underftood 
the  Lord  with  Refped  to  his  Divine  Providence^ 
and  that  by  the  Tree  of  Knowledge  is  underftood 
Man  with  Refpeft  to  his  felf-derived  Prudence. 

242.  n.  That  their  Jirft'horn  Son^  Cain^Jlew  his 
Brother  Abely  and  God  did  not  prevent  it  by /peaking 
to  him^  hut  only  curfed  him  after  the  A  SI*  Forafmuch 
as  by  Adam  and  his  Wife  is  meant  the  mod  ancient 
Church,  as  hath  juft  been  obferved  above,  confe- 
quently  by  Cain  and  Abel^  their  firfl  Sons,  are 
meant  two  EfTentials  of  the  Chiirch,  which  are  Love 
and  Wifdom,  or  Charity  and  Faithy  by  Abel  Love 
and  Charity,  and  by  Cain  Wifdom  or  Faith,  fpecifi- 
cally  Wifdom  feparate  from  Love^  or  Faith  feparate 
from  Charity  ;  and  Wifdom  as  alfo  Faith  feparate  is 
of  fuch  a  Nature,  that  it  not  only  rejedeth  Love  and 
Charity,  but  alfo  annihilates  them,  and  fo  flayeth  itf^ 
Brother :  That  Faith  feparate  from  Charity  hath 
this  EfFe6i:,  is  well  enough  known  in  the  Chriflian 
World  ;  fee  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jeru- 
SAI.EM  CONCERNING  Faith.     The  Curfe  of  Cain 

involves 


The  Divine  ProvibencEo        345 

involves  the  fpiritual  State,  into  v.hich  they  come 
after  Death,  viho  feparate  Faith  from  Charity,  or 
Wifdom  from  Love.     But  neverthelefs,  that\vif- 
dom  or  Faith  might  not  therefore  perifh,  a  Mark 
was  fet  upon  Cain,  left  he  fhould  be  flain,  for  Love 
IS  not  given  without  Wifdom,  nbr  Charity  without 
Faith.     Inafmuch  as  by  thefe  Circumftances  nearly 
the  fame  Things  are  reprefented,  as  by  eating  of  the 
Tree  of  Knowledge,  therefore  they  follow  in  Order 
after  the  Defcription  of  Adam  and  his  Wife  ;   they 
alfo,  who  are  in  Faith  feparate  from  Charity,  are  in 
felf-derived  Intelligence,  and  they  who  are  in  Chari- 
ty, and  thereby  in  Faith,  are  in  Intelligence  from  the 
Lord,  and  fo  in  the  Divine  Providence. 

243.    III.    That  the  Ifraeliiijh  NatiomvorJIyjppcd  a 
golden  Calf  in  tJjv  Wildernefs,  and  acknowledged  it  as 
the  God,  which  drought  them  out  of  the  Land  of  Egypt ; 
when  neverthelefs  Jehovah  faw  this  from  Mount\nai 
7iot  far  of\  and  did  not  prevent  it :    This  was  done 
in  the  Wildernefs  of  Sinai  near  the  Mount  :    1  hat 
Jehovah  did  not  with-hold  the  Ifraelites  from  that 
wicked  Idolatry,  is  according  to  all  the  Laws  of  the 
Divine  Providence  which  have  been  before  fet  forth, 
and  alfo  according  to  thofe  which  follow.      1  his 
Evil  was  permitted  them^  that  they  might  not  all 
perifh  ;    for  the   Children  of  Ifrael  were   brought 
but  of  Egypt,  that  they  might  reprefent  the  Lord's 
Church,  and  this  they  could  not  reprefent,  unlefs 
the  Egyptian  Idolatry  was  firft  rooted  out  of  their 
Hearts  ;  which  could  not  have  been  done,  except 
they  had  been  left  of  themfclves  to  ad  according  to 
that  which  was  in  their  Hearts,  and  fo  to  have  it 
removed  by  a  grievous  Punifhment.      What  is  fur^ 
^J  u  ther 


346    Angelic  Wisdom  conc£ii"nikg 

ther  f]gni£ed  by  that  idolatrous.Worfhip,  and  by  tSe 
Threat  that  they  fhould  be  totally  rejected,  and  that 
a  new  Nation  fljould  be  railed  up  out  of  Mofes,  may 
be  feen  in  The  Arcana  Celestia,  on  the  xxiid 
Chapter  of  Exodus,  where  this  Subjetl  is  treated  of. 

244.  IV.  That  David  numbered  the  People^  and 
therefore  a  Fejiilenee  was  fent  among  them^  zcherebyfo 
many  Thotifands  of  Men  perifoed^  and  that  God  did 
not  fend  the  Prophet  Gad  to  him  before  the  A  61^  but  after 
it^  to  denounce  Pmifhment :  He  who  confirms  him- 
felf  againfl  the  Divine  Providence,  may  alfo  think 
and  revolve  in  his  Mind  various  Things  on  this 
Matter,  particularly,  why  David  was  not  forewarn- 
ed, and  why  the  People'  were  fd  grievoufly  punifhed 
for  the  King^s  TranfgrefTion,  That  David  was  net 
forewarned,  is  conformable  to  thg  Laws  of  the  Di- 
vine Providence  fet  forth  above^  efpecially  the  vno 
which  are  explained,  n.  129  to  153  ;  and  n.  154  to- 
j  74  :  That  the  People  w^ere  fo  grievoufly  punifhsd' 
for  the  King's  Tranigreflion,  and  feventy  Thoufand 
of  them  cut  off  by  the  Peftilence,  was  not  owing 
to  the  King,  but  to  the  People  ;  for  it  is  written, 
*'  Again  the  Anger  of  the  Lord  was  kindled  againfi 
IfraeU  therefore  he  ?no'ved  David  agairifi  them,  faying^' 
go  number  Jfrael  and  Judah^^  2  Sam.  xxiv.  i. 

245.  V.  That  Solomon  was  per?nitted  to  ejlablrfJj^ 
idolatrous  WorfJjip  :  This  was  to  the  End,  that  he 
might  reprefent  the  Lord's  Kingdom  or  Ghurdh 
with  all  the  Religions  in  the  univerfal  World,  for 
the  Church  eitablifhed  with  the  IfraeHtifh  and  Jew- 
iih  Nations  was  a  Reprefentative  Church,  wherefote 
all  the  Judgments  and  Statutes  of  that  Qhurch  rep- 
refented  fpiritual  Things  of  the  Church,  which  arc 

Its 


The  Divine  Providence.        347 

Its  Internals,  the  People  themfelves  reprefented  the 
-Church,  the  King  reprefented  the  Lord,  David  the 
Lord  who  was  about  to  come  into  the  World,  and 
Solomon  the  Lord  after  his  Coming  j  and  inafmuch 
as  the  Lord  after  the  Glorification  of  his  Humaa 
[Eflence]  had  Power  over  Heaven  and  Earth,  as 
He  Himfelf  faith,  Matt,  xxviii.  18,  therefore  Solo.- 
mon  his  Reprefenter  appeared  in  Glory  and  Mag- 
nificence, and  was  in  Wifdom,  above  all  the  Kings 
of  the  Earth,  and  alfo  built  the  Temple  ;  and  more- 
over permitted  and  eftablifhed   the  religious  Wor- 
ihip  of  many  Nations,  by  which  were  reprefented 
the  various   rehgious  Principles   prevailing  in  the 
World  ;    the  like  is  fignined  by  his  Wives,   which 
were  feven  Hundred  in  Number,  and  by  his  Con- 
cubines, which  amounted  to  three  Hundred,  i  Kings 
xu  3  ;  for  Wife  in  the  Word  fignifies  a  Church, 
and  Concubine  a  r^^ligious  Principle.     Hence  it  may 
appear  wh-y  it  was  given  Solomon  to  build  the  Tem^ 
pie,  by  which  the  Lord's  Divine  Humanity  was  rig- 
nified,  John  ii.  19,  21,  and  alfo  the  Church  ;  alfo 
why  it  was  permitted  him   to    eftablifh  idolatrous 
Worfhip,  and  to  have  fo  many  Wives.     That  by 
David  in  many  Pafiages  in  the  Vv^ord  is  meant  the 
Lord  who  was  to  come  into  the  World,  may  be  ieen 
In  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  coNr 

CERNING  THE  LoRD,  H.  43,  44. 

246.  VL  Thai  ii  was  permilicd  viany  Kings  after 
Solomon^  to  profane  the  Ternple  and  holy  Things  of  the 
Church  :  This  was  becaufe  the  People  reprefented  the 
Church,  and  their  King  the  Head  of  them  ;  and 
forafmuch  as  the  Ifraelitifli  and  Jewifli  Nation  were 
|ach,  that  they  could  not  long  reprefcnt  the  Church, 

for 


34?    Angelic  Wisdom  congernikq 

for  they  were  Idolaters  at  Heart,  therefore  they  re* 
ceded  fucceflively  from  reprefentative  Worlhip,  by 
perverting  all  Things  of  the  Church,  infomuch  that 
in  the  End  they  vaftated  it ;  this  was  reprefented  by 
Profanations  of  the  Temple  by  their  Kings,  and  by 
their  Idolatries ;  the  Vaftaticn  of  the  Church  it- 
felf  by  the  Deilrudion  of  the  Temple,  and  by  the 
carrying  away  of  the  Ifraelitifh  People,  and  the 
Captivity  of  the  Jewifh  People  in  Babylon.  I'his 
was  the  Reafon  or  Caufe  of  the  above  PermifTion, 
and  whatfoever  is  done  from  any  Caufe,  is  done 
from  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  I.ord  accord- 
ing to  fome  of  its  Laws. 

247.  VIL  That  that  Nation  was  permitted  to  cru- 
cify  the  Lord :  The  Reafon  of  this  was,  becaufe  the 
Church  among  that  Nation  was  totally  vaftated,  and 
become  fuch,  that  they  not  only  did  not  know  and 
acknowledge  the  Lord,  but  alfo  hated  him  :  Never- 
thelefs  all  that  they  did  to  Him,  was  according  to 
the  Laws  of  his  Divine  Providence.  That  the  Paf- 
fion  of  the  Crofs  was  the  lad  Temptation,  or  laft 
Combat,  by  which  the  Lord  fully  overcame  the 
Hells,  and  fully  glorified  his  Humanity,  may  be 
feen  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem 

CONCERNING    THE    LoRD,    H.     1 2      tO    I4,    and  iu 

The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  con^ 
CERNiNG  Faith,  n.  34,  ^^, 

248.  Thus  far  we  have  explained  the  Particulars 
a^^ove  recited,  n.  236,  which  are  fome  Paflages  out 
of  the  Word,  whereby  the  natural  Man,  who  rea« 
fons  ap^ainfl  the  Divine  Providence,  may  confirm 
himfelf  in  fuch  Reafoning )  for,  as  was  before  ob^ 

fervedj 


The  Divine  Providence.        343 

ferved,  whatfoever  fuch  a  Man  feeth,  hearetb,  and 
readeth,  he  can  take  up  as  an  Argument  againfl 
Providence :  Few  however  confirm  tbemfelves  a- 
gainfl  the  Divine  Providence  from  the  1  hings  con- 
tained in  tlie  Word  ;  but  many  from  the  Things 
which  are  extant  before  their  Eyes,  as  mentioned  in 
ji.  237,  which  fliall  now  in  like  Manner  be  e:^- 
plained. 

249.  That  every  JVorpipper  of  hi wf elf  and  of  Na- 
ture conjirmeth  himjelf  agahijl  the  Divine  Providence^ 
when  be  feeth  fo  many  impious  Perfons  in  the  World  ; 
and  fo  ?7iany  Impieties  committed  by  them^  and  at  the 
fame  Time  that  fome  glory  in  thern^  and  yet  that  they 
are  not  followed  by  any  Puni foment  from  God,  All 
Impieties,  and  all  Glorying  therein,  are  Permiflions, 
the  Caufes  of  which  are  Laws  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence. Every  Man  may  freely,  yea  mod  freely, 
think  whatfoever  he  will,  as  well  againil  God,  as  in 
Favour  of  God,  and  he  who  thinketh  againd  God, 
is  rarely  punilhed  in  the  natural  World,  becaufe 
there  he  is  always  in  a  State  of  Reformation ;  but 
he  is  punifhed  in  the  fpiritual  World  after  Death, 
for  then  he  can  no  longer  be  reformed.  That  the 
Laws  of  the  Divine  Providence  are  the  Caufe  of 
PermifTions,  is  evident  from  the  Laws  thereof  xct 
forth  above,  if  they  are  reviewed  and  examined, 
which  are  thefe :  That  Man  ought  to  a6l  from 
Liberty  according  to  Reafon,  concerning  which 
Law,  fee  n.  71  to  97  above.  That  Man  ought  not 
to  be  forced  by  external  Means  to  think  and  will, 
and  fo  to  believe  and  love  the  Things  which  are 
of  Religion,  but  that  Man  ought  to  lead  and  fome- 
times  to  force  himfelf  to  it,  concerning  which  Law,^ 

fee 


350    Angelic  Wisdom  coNCERmNc 

fee  n.  129  to  174.     That  felf-derived  Prudence  ig 
Nothing,  and  only  appears  as  if  it  was,  and  alfQ 
ought  fo  to  appear,  but  that  the  Divine  Providence 
from  Things  the  mod  particular  is  univerfal,  n.  191 
to  213.     That  the  Divine  Providence  hath  Refped 
to  Things  eternal,  and  no  otherwife  to  temporary 
Things,  than  fo  far  as  they  make  one  with  Things 
eternal,  n.  214  to  220.     That  Man  is  not  let  more 
interiorly  into  the  Truths  of  Faith  and  Goods  of 
Charity,  than  fo  far  as  he  can  be  kept  in  them  to 
his  Life's  End,  concerning  which  Law,  fee  n.  ^21  to 
233.     That  the  Caufes  of  Permiffions  are  Laws  of 
the  Divin-e  Providence,  Vv'ill  alfo  be  evident  from 
what  follows ;    as  from  this   Confxderation,   that 
Evils  are  permitted  to  the  End  that  Salvation  may 
be  wrought.     Alfo  from  this  ;    that   the  Divine 
Providence  is  continual,  as  well  with  the  Wicked 
as  the  Good.      And   iaftly  from  this  ;    that  the 
Lord  cannot  a£l  again  ft  the  Lav/s  of  his  Divine 
Providence,  becaufe  to  zS:  againfl:  them,  would  be 
to  a£l  againft  his  Divine  Love  and  his  Divine  Wif- 
dom,  confequently  againfl  Himfeif.     Thefe  Laws, 
if  they  be  compared,  may  fliew  the  Reafons,  why 
Impieties  are  permitted  by  the  Lord,  and  not  pun- 
ifhed  when  they  exift  only  in  Thought,   and  alfo 
rarely  when  they  exift  in  Intention,  and  fo  likewife 
in  the  Will,  and  not  in  Ad:.     But  yet  every  Evil 
is  followed  by  its  Punifhment,  for  it  is  as  if  Evil 
had  its  Punifhment  infcribed  upon  it,  which  the 
impious  Man  fufTers  after  Death.     By  thefe  Confid- 
erations  here  adduced,  may  alfo  be  explained  the 
Ground   and    Reafon   of  the   following   Pofition 
flated  in  n.  237  j  Tbat  the  Wcrpyipper  of  Self  audi 

tU 


The  Div^E  Providencj:.         351 

iJje  lYorJhlpper  of  Nature  confirms  himfelf  filll  more 
agalnft  the  Divine  Providence,  "juhen  he  fees -that  evrl 
Contrivances,  Cunning,  and  Deceit  fuccced,  even  agairfi 
the  Pioiis^  the  ^ujt,  and  the  Sincere  ;  and  that  In* 
jufiice  triumphs  over  Jufiice  in  Judgments  and  Ne- 
gociations.  All  the  Laws  of  the  Divine  Providence 
are  NecefTities  ;  and  forafinuch  as  Neceflities  are 
the  Caufes  why  the  above  evil  Things  are  permit- 
ted, it  is  evident  that,  to  the  End  that  Man  may 
live  as  Man,  the  Liberty  of  doing  fuch  Things  carv- 
not  be  taken  away  from  him  by  the  Lord,  except 
mediately  by  the  Word,  and  efpecially  by  the  Pre- 
cepts of  the  Decalogue,  with  thofe  who  acknowl- 
edge all  Kinds  of  Murders,  Adulteries,  Thefts,  and 
falfe  Teftimony  to  be  Sins  :•  But  with  thofe  who 
do  not  acknowledge  fuch  Things  to  be  Sins,  the 
fame  is  effeded  mediately  by  civil  Law?,  and  the 
Fear  of  Puniflrment  thence  incurred  ;  alfo  medi- 
ately by  moral  Laws,  and  Fear  of  the  Lofs  of 
Charader,  Honour,  and  Intered  :  By  thefe  Means 
the  Lord  leadeth  the  Wicked,  yet  only  from  doing- 
fuch  Things,  and  not  from  thinking  and  wilHng 
them  :  Whereas  by  the  former  Means  the  Lord 
kadeth  the  Good,  not  only  from  doing  Evils,  but 
alfo  from  thinking  them"  and  willing  them,' 

250.  IL  That  the  VVorfhipper  ofSefand  the  Wor^ 
fijipper  of  Nature  corifirmeth  himfelf  againft  the  Divine 
Providence,  when  he  feet h  the  Impious  promoted  to  Hon- 
ours, and  made  Nobles  and  Primates ;  moreover  that 
they  abound  in  Wealth,  arid  live  elegantly  and  magniji- 
cently,  and  the  Worjhippers  of  God  in  Contempt  and  Pov- 
erty :  The  Worfhipper  of  Self  and  the  Worfhipper 
of  Nature  thinks  Dignities  and  Riches  the  fupreme 

and 


/I 


52    Angelic  Wisdom  concerkinc^ 


and  fole  Felicities  which  can  be  given,  confe- 
quently  the  real  and  elTential  Felicities ;  and  if,  m 
Confequence  of  having  been  initiated  in  Divine 
Worlhip  in  his  Infancy,  he  thinketh  any  Thing  of 
God,  he  calleth  them  Divine  Blefnngs ;  and  fo  long 
as  from  thefe  Bleilings  he  doth  not  afpire  to  any 
Thing  higher,  he  thinks  that  there  is  a  God,  and 
tvoriliips  him;  but  in  this  Worftiip  there  Hes  hid  a 
Motive,  which  he  himfelf  doth  not  then  know,  that 
he  may  be  promoted  by  God  to  ftill  higher  Digni- 
ties and  more  abundant  Wealth,  and  if  he  attains 
thereto,  his  Worfhip  declines  more  and  more  to 
Exteriors,  till  it  comes  to  Nothing,  and  at  length  he 
inaketh  no  Account  of  God,  and  denieth  him  :  The 
EfFed  is  the  fame,  if  he  be  call  down  from  the  Dig- 
nity and  Opulence  in  which  he  placed  his  Hearts 
What  then  are  Dignities  and  Riches  but  flumbling 
Blocks  to  the  Wicked  ?  Not  fo  to  the  Good,  be- 
caufe  they  do  not  place  their  Hearts  therein,  but  in 
the  Ufes  or  Goods,  for  the  doing  of  which  Digni- 
ties and  Riches  ferve  as  Means :  Wherefore  from 
the  Promotion  of  the  Irftpious  to  Dignities  and 
Riches,  and  their  being  made  Nobles  and  Primates^ 
no  one  can  confirm  himfelf  againft  the  Divine  Prov- 
idence, but  a  Worfhipper  of  Self  and  of  Nature^ 
Befides,  what  is  greater  or  leifer  Dignity,  and  great- 
er or  leffer  Opulence  ?  Is  it  any  Thing  in  itfelf  but 
Somewhat  imaginary  ?  Is  one  more  profperous  and 
happy  than  the  other  ?  Is  the  Dignity  of  a  Noble,- 
yea  of  a  King  or  an  Emperor,  after  a  Year's  Du- 
ration, confidered  any  otherwife  than  as  Something 
common,  v/hich  no  longer  maketh  his  heart  to 
dilate  with  Joy,  and  may  even  become  vile  in  his 

Sight  ? 


The  Divine  Providence. 


353 


Sight  ?  Are  Men,  by  Virtue  of  their  Dignity,  in  any 
greater  Degree  of  Happinefs,  than  thofe  who  are  in 
lefs  Dignity,  yea,  than  thofe  who  are  in  the  lead  of 
all,  fuch  as  Hufbandmen  and  alfo  their  Servants  ? 
May  not  thefe  latter  be  in  a  greater  Degree  of  Hap- 
pinefs. when  it  goes  well  with  them,  and  they  are 
contented  with  their  Lot  ?  Whq  is  more  redlefs  at 
Heart,  more  frequently  fretted,  or  more  grievoufiy 
enraged,  than  a  Lover  of  himfelf?  This  is  the 
Cafe  as  often  as  he  is  not  honoured  according  to 
the  Pride  of  his  Heart,  or  when  any  Thing  doth 
hot  fucceed  according  to  his  Wifli  and  Pleaiure  r 
What  then  is  Dignity,  if  it  be  not  to  fome  Ufe  and 
Purpofe,  but  an  Idea  ?  Can  fuch  an  Idea  exi(t  in. 
any  other  Thought,  than  in  Thought  about  Self 
and  the  World  ?  and  is  it  any  Thing  in  itfelf  but 
an  Idea,  that  the  World  is  every  Thing  and  Eter« 
nity  Nothing  ?  We  (hall  here  add  a  few  Obferva- 
tions  concerning  the  Reafony  why  the  Divine 
providence  permits  the  V/icked  at  Heart  to  be 
promoted  to  Dignities,  and  to  a:cquire  Wealth : 
The  Impious,  or  Wicked,  can  equally  as  well  per- 
form Ufes  as  the  Pious  or  Good,  yea,  v^ith  greater 
Ardour,  for  they  confider  themfelves  in  Ufes,  and 
Honours  they  confider  as  Ufes  5  v;herefore  in  Pro-i 
portion  to  the  Prevalence  of  Self-Love,  is  kindled 
the  Lud  of  doing  Ufes  with  a  View  to  their  owa 
6lory  :  Such  Fire  doth  not  operate  with  the  Pioos^ 
or  Good,  unlefs  it  be  kindled  from  below  by  the 
Confideration  of  Honour  j  for  which  Reafon  the 
Lord  ruieth  the  Impious  at  Heart,  who  are  'm 
Dignities,  by  the  Love  of  Fame,  and  thereby  ex- 
cites them  to  perform  Ufes  to  the  Community  or 
W  vr  their 


:>-!> 


354    Angelic  Wisdom  concerkincj^ 

their  Country,  to  the  Society  or  City  in  which  the/ 
dwell,  and  alfo  to  their  Neighbour  or  Fellow-Citi-- 
zen  :'  For  the  Lord's  Kingdom  is  a  Kingdom  of 
Ufes,  and  where  there  arc  only  a  few  who  perform: 
Ufes  for  the  Sake  of  being  ufeful,  he  caufeth  the 
Worfhippers  of  Self  to  be  advanced  to  Offices  of 
Preeminence,  in  which  they  are  all  excited  by 
Self-Love  to  do  Good.  Suppofe  there  were  any 
infernal  Kingdom  in  this  "World,  (although  there! 
is  not  any  fuch)  in  which  the  Love  of  Self  only* 
prevailed,  Self-Love  being  the  Devil  himfelf, 
would  not  every  Member  of  it  perform  Ufes-  fvoni 
the  Fire  of  Self-Love,  and  the  Splendor  of  his  owa- 
Glory,  more  than  in  any  other  Kingdom  ?  Never-- 
thelefs  all  fuch  have  Nothing  in  their  Mouths  but 
the  public  Good,  yet  in  their  Hearts  Nothing  but 
their  own  Good ;  and  forafmuch  as  every  one  iii 
fuch  Cafe  looks  up  to  his  Prince  that  he  may  ba 
made  greater,  for  he  afpires  to  be  greateft,  cari 
fuch  a  one  fee  that  there^  is  a  God,  whilll:  he  i^ 
encompafied  by  the  Smoke  as  it  were  of  a  Confla- 
gration, which  no  fpiritual  Truth  in  its  Light  can 
pervade  ?  I  have  feen  that  Smoke  about  the  Helli 
of  fuch.  Seek  every  Method  of  Inform.ation,  and 
inquire  how  many  of  thofe,  who  at  this  Day  afpirs 
to  Dignities  in  the  Kingdoms  of  the  Earth,  are  any 
other  than  Lovers  of  Self  and  of  the  World  ;  you 
will  fcarce  find  fifty  in  a  thoufand  who  are  influ- 
enced by  the  Love  of  God,  and  among  thefe  only 
a  few  who  afpire  to  Dignities  ;  feeing  then  they  are 
fo  few  in  Number  who  are  influenced  by  the  Love 
of  God,  and  fo  many  are  influenced  by  the  Love  of 
Self  and  of  the  World,  and  fmce  the  btter  Love?,. 

from 


The  Divine  Providence.        ^^^ 

&0111  the  Nature  of  their  Fires,  are  more  produc- 
tive of  Ufes,  than  the  Love  of  God  is,  from  its 
Fire,  how  can  any  one  confirm  himfelf  againft 
Divine  Providence,  from  this  Circumdance  of  the 
Wicked  being  in  greater  Preeminence  and  Opu- 
lence than  the  Good  ?  This  is  alfo  confirmed  by 
thefe  Words  of  the  Lord,  "  And  the  Lord  commend- 
ed the  unjujl  SteiJoard^  becaufe  be  had  doie  ivifely  : 
For  the  Children  of  this  World  are  in  their  Generation 
ivifer  than  the  Children  cf  Light,  And  I  fay  unto 
you^  make  to  yourfches  Friends  of  the  Mammon  of 
Unrighteoufnefs  ;  that  'when  ye  fail,  they  may  receive 
you  into  evcrlafting  Habitations^'*  I^uke  xvi.  8,  9  j 
'W'hat  is  meant  by  thefe  Words  in  the  natural 
Senfe,  is  evident :  But  ia  the  fpiritual  Senfe  are 
meant  the  Knowledges  cf  Things  good  and  true, 
ivhich  the  Wicked  polTefs,  and  which  they  ufe  fole- 
ly  for  the  Purpofe  of  acquiring  to  themfelves  Digni- 
ties and  Riches ;  it  is  thefe  Knowledges,  of  which 
the  Good,  or  the  Children  of  Light,  are  to  make  to 
themfelves  Friends,  and  which  are  to  introduce  them 
into  everlafling  Habitations.  That  there  are  many 
who  love  themfelves  and  the  World,  and  few  who 
love  God,  the  Lord  alfo  teacheth  in  thefe  Words, 
"  Wide  is  the  Gate,  and  broad  is  the  Way,  that  lead- 
€th  to  DefiruHion,  and  many  there  be  ivhich  go  in 
thereat :  Butfirait  is  the  Gate,  and  narrow  is  the  Way^ 
ivhich  leadeth  unto  Life,  and  few  there  be  that  find  it,'* 
Matt.  vii.  13,  14.  That  Dignities  and  Riches  are 
cither  Curfes  or  Bleiungs,  and  with  whom  they  are 
fuch,  may  be  feen  above,  n.  217. 

251.  in.    That  the  Worjhippcr  cf  Self,  and  the 
lYorJhippcr  cf  Nature,  confirmeth  himfelf  againfl  tloQ 

Dlvim 


356   Angelic  Wisdom   conceirning 

Divine  Providence,  when  be  thi7iketh  how  Wars  aret 
permitted^  and  thereby  fo  many  Men  Jl aught e red,  and 
their  Po[feJJions  plundered*     It  is  not  from  the  Divine 
providence,  that  Wars  exiii:,  becaufe  they  are  con- 
ne6led  with  Murders,  Depredations,  Violences,  Cru- 
elties, and  other  enormous  Evils,  which  a'-e  diamet- 
rically contrary  to  Chriilian  Charity  :  Still  however 
they  cannot  but  be  permitted,  becaufe  the  Life's 
Love  of  Men,  fince  the  lime  of  the  mbft  ancient 
People,  who  are  meant  by  Adam  and  his  Wife,  of 
\\hom  above,  n.  241,  became  of  fuch  a  Nature,  that 
he  defireth  to  have  Dominion  over  others,  and  at 
length   over  all,   and   wifheth   to   poflefs   worldly 
Wealth,  and  at  length  all  the  Wealth  in  the  World  ; 
thefe  two  Loves  cannot  be  held  in  Bonds,  fince  it 
is  according  to  the  Divine  Providence,  that  every 
one  ihould  be  allowed  to  ad  from  Liberty  accords 
ing  to  Reafon,  concerning  which,  fee  above,  n.  71 
to  97  ;    and  that  without  Fermiflions,  Man  cannot; 
be  led  by  the  Lord  from  Evils,  confequently  not 
reformed  and  faved,  for  if  Evils  were  not  permitted 
to  break  out,  Man  would  not  fee  them,  therefore 
neither  would  he  acknowledge  them,  nor  could  he 
be  induced  to  refift  them  :  Hence  it  is  that  Evils 
cannot  be  retrained  from  appearing  by  any  Regu« 
lation  of  the  Divine  Providence  ;   for  in  that  Cafe, 
they  would  remain  fliut  in,  and  like  the  DIfeafe, 
\vhich  is  called  a  Cancer  and  a  Mortification,  would 
fpread,   and  confume  every  Thing  vital  in  Man. 
For  Man  is  by  Birth   like  a  little  Hell,  between 
•vi'hich  and  Heaven  there  is  a  perpetual  Difagree- 
raent  ;  no  Man  can  be  drawn  out  of  his  Hell  by 
the  Lord,  unlefs  he  fees  that  he  is  there,  and  wifh- 
eth 


The  piviNE  Providence.        357 

eth  to  be  delivered  ;  and  this  cannot  be  done  witli^ 
put  Permifiicns,  the  Caufcs  of  which  are  Laws  of 
the  Divine  Providence,      This  is  the  Realbn  wliy, 
there  are  Wars  of  greater  or  lefler  Extent ;  iefier 
Wars  between  the  Pofllfibrs  of  Lands  and  Lord- 
fhips  and  their  Neighbours,  and  greater  Wars  be- 
tween  the  Monarchs  of  Kingdoms  and  their  Neigh- 
bours ;  their  being  greater  or  lefler,  makes  no  oth- 
er Difference  than   that  the  leiier  are  kept  withia 
certain  Bounds  by  the  Laws  of  their  particular  Na- 
tion, and  the  greater  by  the  Law  of  Nations ;  and 
that  the  greater  as  well  as  the  lellbr  are  delirous  of 
going  beyond  their  Laws,  but  that  the  kiler  cannot, 
and  the  greater  can,  yet  flill  within  the  Lnnits  of  a 
certain  Poffibility.      That  greater  Wars,  inafmuch 
as  they  are  connected  with  olaughter,  Depredations, 
Violence,  and  Cruelty,  are  not  prevented  by  the 
Lord  from  being  carried  on  by  Kings  and  Generals, 
jieither  in  their  Beginning,  nor  in  their  ProgrefTion, 
nor  in  their  Conclufion,  until  the  Power  of  one  or 
the  other  is  fo  reduced,  that  they  are  in  Danger  of 
peflruction,  is  owing  to  feveral  Caufes,  which  are 
hid  in  the  Treafury  of  Divine  Wifdom  ;    fome  of 
thefe  have  been  revealed  to  me  ;   among  which  is 
the  following  ;  that  all  Wars,  although  they  are  of 
a  civil  Nature,  are  reprefentative  of  States  of  the 
Church  in  Heaven,  and  that  they  are  Correfpcnd- 
ences  :  Such  were  all  the  Wars  which  are  defcri* 
bed  in  the  Word,  and  moreover  fuch  are  all  Wars 
at  this  Day  :  The  Wars  defcribed  in  the  Word,  are 
thofe  which  were  carried  on  by  the  Children  of  If- 
pel  with  various  Nations,  as  with  the  Amorites,  the 
Ammonites,  the  Moabites,  the  Philiilines^  the  Syri- 
ans, 


358     Angelic  Wisdom  concerking 

ans,  the  Egyptians,  the  Chaidsans,  the  AlTyrians  5 
and  when  the  Children  of  Ifrael,  who  reprefcnted 
the  Church,  departed  from  their  Precepts  and  Statr 
utes,  and  fell  into  the  Evils,  which  were  fignified  by 
thofe  Nations,  (for  each  particular  Nation,  with 
which  the  Children  of  Ifrael  waged  War,  fignihed 
fome  particular  Kind  of  Evil)  then  they  v/ere  pun- 
iflied  by  that  Nation  :  For  Example,  when  they  pro- 
faned the  holy  Things  of  the  Church  by  foul  ldola« 
tries,  they  were  punifhed  by  the  AfTyrians  and  Chal- 
disans,  becaufe  by  AiTyria  and  Chaldasa  is  fignified 
the  Profanation  of  what  is  holy  :  What  is  fignified 
by  the  Wars  with  the  Philldines,  may  be  feen  in 
The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  con? 
CERNiNG  Faith,  n.  ^o  to  54.  Similar  Things  are 
reprefented  by  Wars  at  this  Day,  wherefoever  they 
be ;  for  all  the  Things  which  are  done  in  the  natu- 
ral World,  correfpond  with  fpiritual  Things  in  the 
fpiritual  World,  and  all  fpiritual  Things  concern  the 
Church.  It  is  not  known  in  this  World,  which  are 
the  Kingdoms  in  Chriflendom,  that  reprefent  the 
Moabites  and  Ammonites,  which  the  Syrians  and 
Philiflines,  and  which  the  Chaldgeans  and  AlTy- 
rians, and  the  reft  with  whom  the  Children  of  Ifrael 
waged  VsTars  ;  neverthelefs  there  are  Kingdoms  in 
Chriflendom  which  reprefent  thefe  People.  But 
■what  the  State  and  Quality  of  the  Church  upon 
Earth  is,  and  what  the  Evils  are,  into  which  it  lap=^ 
fes,  and  by  Reafon  of  which  it  is  punifhed  with 
Wars,  cannot  at  all  be  feen  in  the  natural  World, 
becaufe  in  that  World  Externals  only  appear,  which 
do  not  conftitute  the  Church  ;  but  it  is  feen  in  the 
fpiritual  World,  where  Internals  appear,  which  dg 

conftitute 


The  Divine  ProvidencjS, 


3S^ 


^bhflltute  the  Church  ;  and  in  the  fpiritual  World 
all  are  conjoined  according  to  their  various  States  : 
The  Confiids  of  thefe  in  the  l].)iriiual  World  corrcf- 
pond  to  Wars,  which  on  both  Sides  are  governed 
correfpondently  by  the  Lord  according  to  his  Divine 
Providence.  That  Wars  in  this  World  are  govern--' 
ed  by  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord,  is  ac- 
knowledged by  the  fpiritual  Man,  but  not  by  the 
natural  M-an,  except  when  a  Fail  is  appointed  in  Con- 
fequence  of  a  Victory,  and  then  he  can  give  Thanks 
to  God  upon  his  Knees  who  hath  given  the  Victory, 
and  alfo  offer  up  a  fev/  Ejaculations  before  he  goeth 
to  Battle  j  but  when  he  returns  to  himfclf,  then  he 
either  afcribes  the  Vidlory  to  the  Prudence  of  the 
General,  or  to  fome  Meafure  or  Incident  in  the 
Midft  of  the  Battle,  which  they  had  not  thought  of,- 
and  by  which  neverthelefs  the  Vidory  was  decided.- 
That  the  Divine  Providence,  which  is  called  For-i 
tune,  operates  in  the  inoft  minute  Particulars  even 
of  trifling  Things,  may  be  feen  above,  n.  2 1 2  ;  if  you 
acknowledge  the  Divine  Providence  in  fuch  Things, 
much  more  will  you  acknowledge  it  in  the  Con^ 
cerns  of  War :  Moreover  SuccefTes  and  Advanta- 
ges, obtained  in  War,  are  commonly  called  the 
Fortune  of  War,  and  this  is  the  Divine  Providence, 
operating  efpecially  in  the  Councils  and  Defigns 
meditated  by  the  General,  although  he  at  the  Time^ 
and  afterwards,  may  afcribe  the  whole  to  his  own 
Prudence.  This  he  may  do  if  he  will,  for  he  is  at 
full  Liberty  to  think  either  in  Favour  of  the  Divine 
Providence,  or  againfl  it,  yea  either  in  Favour  of 
God  or  againll  him,  but  yet  let  him  know,  that  net 
itie  fmallelt  Particular  of  his  Councils,  or  of  the  Ex- 
pedients- 


360    Angelic  Wisdom  concerninc' 

pedients  devifed  by  him,  is  from  himfelf ;  they  all 
enter  by  Influx  from  Heaven,  or  from  Hell,  froiu" 
Hell  by  Permiliion,  and  from  Heaven  by  the  Divme  ,. 
Providence. 

252.  IV.  That  the  V/orJJfipper  of  Self  and  the  Wor^ 
fhipper  of  Nature  confnneih  hlmfef  againfi  the  Divine 
Providence^  ivhen  he  thinketh  according  to  his  Percep- 
tion j  that  Victories  declare  on  the  Side  of  Prudence^  and 
fome times  not  on  the  Side  of  fufiice  :  Moreover  that  it 
maketh  no  Difference^  whether  the  General  be  a  good 
Man^  or  a  wicked  Man.  The  Reaiori  why  it  feems 
as  if  Viclory  declated  on  the  Side  of  Prudence,  and 
fometimes  not  on  the  Side  of  Judice,  is,  becaufe  Maa 
jiidgeth  from  Appearance,  and  iavoiireth  one  Party 
more  than  another,  and  that  v/hich  he  favoureth  he 
can  confirm  by  Reafonings,  neither  knoweth  he 
that  the  Juilice  of  the  Caufe  in  Heaven  is  fpiritual, 
and  m  this  World  natural  as  was  before  obferved, 
and  'that  they  are  joined  by  a  Connexion  of  Things 
pad  and  to  come,  which  are  known  only  to  the 
Lord.  That  it  maketh  no  Difference  whether  the 
General  be  a  good  or  a  wicked  Mail,  is  owing  to' 
the  fame  Caufe,  Vv^hich  is  affigned  above,  n.  250,' 
x''iz.  that  the  Wicked  perfornr  Uies  ais  well  as  the 
Good,  and  indeed  the  Wicked^  from  the  Fire  pe» 
culiar  to  themfelves,  more  ardently  than  the  Good  ^' 
efpecially  in  Wars,  becaufe  a  wicked  Man  is  more 
crafty  and  cunning  in  devifing  deceitful  Contrivan- 
ces,  and  from  the  Love  of  Glory  receives  Pieafure 
\\\  killing  and  plundering  thofe  whom  he  knoweth 
and  declareth  to  be  Enemies,  which  is  not  the  Cafe 
with  a  good  Man,  who  is  only  influenced  by  Pru- 
dence and  Zeal  in  defending  himfelf,  and  rarely  by 

any 


The  Divine  Providence.         361 

any  Prudence  or  Zeal  in  invading  others.  The 
Cafe  herein  is  the  fame  as  with  the  Spirits  of  Hell, 
and  the  Angels  of  Heaven  ;  the  Spirits  of  Hell 
affault,  and  the  Angels  of  Heaven  defend  theinfelves. 
Hence  this  Conclufion  may  be  deduced,  that  it  is 
allovi^able  for  any  one  to  defend  his  Country  and 
Aflbciates  againfl  invading  Enemies,  even  by  Means 
of  wicked  Generals,  but  that  it  is  not  allowable  to 
make  themfelves  Enemies  without  a  Caufe  :  When 
Motives  of  Glory  alone  are  the  Caufe,  it  is  in  itfelf 
diabohcal,  for  this  is  of  Self-Love. 

253.  Thus  far  have  been  explained  the  Things  ad- 
duced above,  n.  237,  by  which  the  merely  natural 
Man  confirmeth  himfelf  againft  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence ;  we  fhall  now  proceed  to  explain  the  Cir- 
cumflances  which  are  taken  Notice  of  in  the  Num- 
ber following,  238,  relating  to  the  Religions  of  ma- 
ny Nations,  which  may  alfo  ferve  the  merely  natur- 
al Man  as  Arguments  againft  t^  Divine  Provi- 
dence ;  for  he  faith  in  his  Heart,  how  can  fo  many 
difcordant  Religions  exift  throughout  the  World,  and 
why  doth  not  one  true  Religion  prevail  univerfally, 
if  the  Divine  Providence  hath  for  its  End  a  Heaven 
out  of  the  human  Race,  as  is  fhewn  above,  n.  27 
to  45  ?  But  hear,  I  befeech  you  ;  all  who  are  born 
Men,  in  whatfoever  Religion  they  may  be  principled, 
are  capable  of  being  faved,  provided  they  acknowl- 
edge a  God,  and  live  according  to  the  Command- 
ments of  the  Decalogue,  which  are,  not  to  kill,  not 
to  commit  Adultery,  not  to  fteal,  not  to  bear  falfe 
Witnefs,  by  Reafon  that  to  do  fuch  1  hings  is  con- 
trary to  Religion,  therefore  againft  God  :  In  fuch 
Perfons  there  is  the  Fear  of  God  and  Love  of  their 
X  X  Neighbour, 


362     Angelic  Wisdom  coNCERNiNi^ 

Neighbour,  the  Fear  of  God,  becaufe  they  thlnl:^,' 
that  to  do  fuch  Thmgs  is  to  ad  againd  God,  and 
a  Love  of  their  Neighbour,  becaufe  to  kill,  to  com- 
4nit  Adultery,  to  Heal,  to  bear  falfe  Witnefs,  and  to 
covet  their  Neighbour's  Hcufe  and  his  Wife,  is  to 
a6l  againfl  thdr  Neighbour ;  thefe  Perfons,  inaf- 
much  as  they  refped  God  in  their  Lives,  and  do  no 
Evil  to  their  Neighbour,  are  led  of  the  Lord,  and 
-they  who  are  fo  led,  are  alfo  taught  according  to 
their  Religion  concerning  God  and  their  Neigh- 
bour j  for  they  who  fo  live,  love  to  be  taught,  but 
they  who  liv'e  oiherwife,  do  not  love  to  be  taught ; 
and  inafinuch  as  they  love  to  be  taught,  after  DeatH" 
alfo,  when  they  become  Spirits,  they  are  in(tru6ted 
by  the  Angels,  and  willingly  receive  Truths,  fuch' 
as  are  contained  in  the  Word :  On  this  Subject" 
Something  maybefeenin  The  Doctrine  of  the 
New  jEp.usALEi\r  concerning  the  Sacred- 
Scripture,  n*^i  to  97  ;  and  104  to  113. 

254.  L  That  the  vierely  natural  Man  confirmeth 
h  wife  If  agai  lift  the  Divine  Providence^  luben  be  confuU 
ers  the  Religions  of  various  Nations^  that  there  arefome 
*ivho  are  totally  ignorant  of  a  God. ^  andfome  who  adore 
the  Sun  and  Moon  ;  andfome  alfo  who  adore  Idols  and 
graven  Images,  They  w^ho  from  thefe  Gircumilan- 
ces  deduce  Arguments  againfl  xhe  Divine  Provi-^ 
dence,  do  not  know  the  Arcana  of  Heaven,-  whicb 
are  innumerable,  whereof  fcarcely  one  cometh  to' 
the  Knowledge  of  Man  ;  for  among  thefe  Arcana 
this  is  one,  that  Man  is  not  taught  immediately 
from  Heaven,  Let  mediately,  on  which  Subjedl  fee 
n.  154  to  174  above  ;  and  inafmuch  as  he  is  taught 
mediately,  and  the  Gofpel  eould  not  bv  Emifrar:e3 

be 


The  Divine  Providence.         36,5 

he  extended  to  all  who  inhabit  the  whole  Earth,  but 
yet  fome  Religion  could  be  handed  down  by  various 
Means  even  to  the  Gentiles,  who  are  in  the  remote  Cor- 
ners of  the  Earth,  therefore  this  was  efFc6led  by  the 
Divine  Providence  ;  for  no  IMan  hath  any  P<.elIgion 
from  himfelf,  but  through  fome  other  Perfon,  who 
either  knew  himfelf  from  the  Word  or  had  learned 
by  Tradition  front  others,  that  there  is  a  God,  that 
there  is  a  Heaven  and  Hell,  and  a  Life  after  Death, 
and  that  God  is  to  be  woifnipped  in  Order  that 
Man  may  be  happy.  That  Religion  hath  been 
tranfplanted  over  the  whole  Earth  from  the  ancient 
Word,  and  afterwards  from  the  Ifraelitiflr  Word, 
may  be  feen  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  Nev/  Je- 
rusalem CONCERNING  THE  SaCRED  ScRIPTURE, 

n.  1 01  to  J03  ;  and  that  without  the  Wo!d  no  one 
could  have  known  any  Thing  of  a  God,  of  Heaven 
and  Hell,  or  of  a  Life  after  Death,  much  lefs  any 
Thing  of  the  Lord,  may  be  feen,  n.  1 14  to  1 18  of 
the  fame  Traflt.     When  once  a  Religion  is  implant-- 
ed  in  any  Nation,  that  Nation  is  led  cf  the  Lord 
according  to  the  Precepts  and  Tenets  of  their  Re- 
ligion; and  the  Lord  provideth  that  in  every  Religion 
there  fliould  be  Precepts  of  fuch  a  Nature  as  there 
are  in  the  Decalogue,  as  that  God  ought  to  be  wor- 
ftipped,    his  Name  not  profaned,  Feitivals    to  be 
obferved.  Parents  honoured,  Murder  not  committed, 
neither  Adultery,  nor  Theft,  and  falfe  Teflimony 
not  given  ;  the  Nation  which  maketh  thefe  Precepts 
Divine,  and  liveth  according  to  them  from  a  Princi- 
ple of  Religion,  is  faved,  as  was  faid  above,  n.  253  : 
Moreover  mcfl  of  the  Nations,   which  are  remote 
J'^om  the.Chriflian  World,  confider  thefe  Lav^^s,  not 

as 


364    Angelic  Wisdom  conceiining 

as  civil,  but  as  Divine,  and  hold  them  facred  :  That 
Man  is  faved  by  a  Life  according  to  thefe  Precepts, 
maybe  feen  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Je- 
rusalem FROM  THE  Precepts  of  the  Deca- 
logue, from  Beginning  to  End.     Among  the  Ar- 
cana of  Heaven  this  alfo  is  one,  that  the  Angelic 
Heaven  is  in  the  Sight  of  the  Lord  as  one  Man, 
whofe  Soul  and  Life  the  Lord  is,  and  that  this 
Divine  Man  is  in  every  Particular  of  his  Form  a 
Man,  not  only  as  to  his  external  Members  and  Or- 
gans, but  alfo  as  to  his  internal  Members  and  Organs, 
which  are  many,  and  Hkewife  as  to  the  Skin,  Mem«* 
branes,  Cartilages,  and  Bones ;    none  of  thefe  Parts 
however  in  that  Man  are  material,  but  they  are  all 
fpiritual ;  and  it  is  provided  by  the  Lord,  that  they 
alfo  to  whom  the  Gofpel  could  not  reach,  but  only 
fome  Sort  of  Religion,  may  likewife  have  a  Place 
in  that  Man,  that  is,  in  Heaven,  by  conftituting  the 
Parts  called  the  Skin,  Membranes,  Cartilages,  and 
Bones  ;  and  that  they  may  live  equally  as  well  as 
others  in  heavenly  Joy  ;  for  it  maketh  no  Difference, 
whether  a  Perfon  be  in  fuch  Joy  as  is  experienced 
by  the  Angels  of  the  highefl:  Heaven,  or  in  fuch  Joy 
as  is  experienced  by  the  Angels  of  the  lowed  Heav- 
en, inafmuch  as  every  one,  who  is  received  into 
Heaven,  entereth  into  the  fupreme  or  full  Joy  of 
his  Heart,  and  greater  than  that  he  cannot  fupport, 
for  thereby  he  would  be  fuffocated  :  The  Cafe  is 
comparatively  as  it  is  with  an  Hufbandman  and  a 
King  ;  the  Huibandman  may  be  in  a  State  of  the 
greateft  Happinefs,  when  he  goes  clad  in  a  new 
Suit  of  coarfe  Worded  Apparel,  and  fits  down  to  a 
Table  furniilied  with  plain  and  wholefome  Food ; 

and 


The  Divine  Providence.        ^6^ 

and  fuch  a  Man  would  be  diftrefTed  at  Heart,  if  he 
were  to  be  cloathcdlike  a  King  in  Purple,  Silk,  Gold, 
and  Silver,  and  a  Table  were  fet  out  for  him,  with 
Delicacies  of  various  Kinds,  expcnfive  and  exquifite, 
and  generous  Wines ;  from  which  Confideration  it 
is  evident,   that  the  laft  in  Heaven,  as  well  as  the 
firft,  have  celeflial  Felicity,  each  in  his  Degree ; 
and  confequently  they  alfo  enjoy  fuch  Felicity,  who 
are  without  the  Chriltian  World,  provided  they  fhun 
Evils  as  Sins  againft  God,  becaufe  they  are  contrary 
to  Religion/   There  are  fome  fevi^,  who  are  totally 
ignorant  with  Refped  to  God  ;  but  that  thefe,  if 
they  have  lived  a  moral  Life,  are  inflructed  after 
Death  by  Angels,  and  in  their  moral  Life  receive  a 
fpiritual  Principle,  may  be  feen  in  the  Doctrine  of 
THE  NEW  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred 
Scripture,  n.  ii6.     The  Cafe  is  the  fame  with 
thofe  who  worfhip  the  Sun  and  Moon,  and  think 
that  God   is  therein ;    they   know   no  otherwife, 
wherefore  it  is  not  imputed  to  them  as  a  Sin,  for 
the  Lord  faith.  If  ye  were  blind^  that  is,  if  ye  did  not 
know,  ye  would  have  no  iS/;2,  John  ix.  41.  But  there 
are  many,  who  worfhip  Idols  and  Images,  even  in 
the  Chriftian  World  ;  this  indeed  is  idolatrous,  but 
not  in  all ;  for  there  are  fome,  to  whom  Images  ferve 
as  Means  of  exciting  them  to  think  of  God  ;  for  by 
Virtue  of  Influx  from  Heaven,  he  who  acknowledg- 
eth  God,  wilheth  to  fee  him,  and  Perfons  of  this 
Defcription,  forafmuch  as  they  cannot  elevate  the 
Mind  above  Things  fenfual,  like  thofe  who  are  in- 
teriorly fpiritual,  awaken  in  themfelves  an  Idea  of 
him  from  a  Statue  or  graven  Image  ;  they  who  do 
this,  and  do  not  adore  the  Image  itfclf  as  a  God,  if 

they 


^66    Angelic  Wisdom  con.cernik^ 

they  alfo  live  according  to  the  Precepts  of  the  Dec* 
alogue  from  a  Principle  of  Religion,  are  faved. 
Hence  it  is  evident,  that  forafinuch  asthe  Lord  vWU 
eth  the  Salvation  of  all,  he  hath  alfo  provided  that 
every  one  may  have  fome  Place  in  Heaven,  if  fo  be 
he  liveth  well.  That  Heaven  before  the  Lord  is  as 
one  Man,  and  that  thence  Heav.en  correfponds  to 
all  and  fmgular  theThings  appertaining  to  Man  ;  and 
that  there  are  alfo  foine  who  reprefent  the  Skin,  the 
Membranes,  Cartilages,  and  Bones,  may  be  feen  in 
the  Work  concerning  Heaven  and  Hell,  pub« 
lifhed  in  London  1758,  n.  59  to  102  :  Alfo  in  the 
Arcana  Cceles tia,  n.  5552  to  ^k^6  j  and  likewife 
above,  n.  201  to  204. 

255.  II.  Tbat  the  inerely  natural  Man  cofifirmeth 
hinifelf  agamjl  the  Divine  Providence^  when  he  confid" 
'ers  the  Mahometan  Religion^  how  it  is  received  by  fi 
many  E?iipires  and  Kingdoms  :  That  this  Religion 
is  received  by  a  greater  Number  of  Kingdoms  than 
the  Chriflian  Religion,  may  be  Matter  of  Scandal  to 
thofe,  who  think  of  the  Divine  Providence,  and  at 
the  fame  Time  imagine,  that  no  one  can  be  faved^ 
except  he  be  born  a  Chriflian,  confequently  in  a 
Country  where  the  Word  is  poiTeffed,  by  Means  of 
which  the  Lord  is  known  :  But  the  Mahojnetan 
Religion  is  no  Matter  of  Scandal  to  thofe,  who  be- 
lieve that  all  Things  are  of  the  Divine  Providence  ; 
thefe  inquire  wherein  fuch  Providence  can  be  traced, 
and  alfo  find  it  out  ;  it  may  be  traced  in  this  Cir- 
cumflance,  that  the  Mahometan  Religion  acknowU 
edgeth  the  Lord  to  be  the  Son  of  God,  the  wifefl  of 
Men,  and  the  greateft  of  Prophets,  who  came  into 
the  World  to  teach  Men  \  mofl  Mahometans  there- 
fore 


The  Ci^ine  pROvii)ENcE.         36/ 

fore  confider  the  Lord  as  greater  than  Mahomet; 
For  the  better  underftanding  how  this  Religion' 
was  raifed  up  by  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord, 
for  the  Purpofe  of  deflroying  the  Idolatry  of  many 
Nations,  we  fhall  Confider  the  Subject  in  an  orderly 
Arrangement,  beginning  with  fome  Obfervations 
concerning  the  Origin  of  Idolatries.  Previous  to 
the  Religion  of  Mahomet,  the  Worfhip  of  Idols  wa3 
Common  over  the  who!e  Earth  :  The  Reafon  was, 
becaufe  the  Churches,  before  the  Lord's  Coming, 
were  all  reprefentative  Churches ;  fuch  alfo  was  the 
IfraelitiflV  Church,  their  Tabernacle,  the  Garments 
of  Aaron,  their  Sacrifices,  all  1  hings  appertaining  to 
the  Temple  at  Jerufalem,  and  alfo  their  Statutes/ 
were  reprefentative  ;  and  among  the  Ancients  the 
Science  of  Correfpondences  was  underflood,  whichf 
rs  alfo  the  Science  of  Reprefentations,  and  the  pe- 
culiar Science  of  thei?  wife  Mefiy  culfivatecV  particu-^' 
larly  in  Egypt,  wheii'ce  they  h^d  their  Hieroglyph- 
ics :  By  Virtue  of  this  Science,  they  krlew  what  was' 
iignified  by  all  Kinds  of  Animals,  alfo  by  Trees  of  alb 
Kinds,  and  moreover  what  was  fignified  by  Moun- 
tains, Mills,  Rivers,  Fountains,  as  well  as  by  the 
Sun,  ]\!!bon,  and'  Star^' ;  ztid  wherea:s  all  their  Di-' 
vine  Worfhip  was  reprefentative,  confiiting  of  mere 
Correfpondence'J,  therefore  they  celebrated  their  re- 
ligious Rites:  upon  Mountains  and  Hill^,  and  alfo  in' 
Groves  and  Gardens,  and  for  the  fame  Reafon  they 
confecrated  Fountains,  and  turned  their  Faces  to- 
wards the  Eall  in  their  Adorations  of  God,  and  more- 
over made  to  themfelves  carved  Images  of  Horfes,- 
Oxen,  Calves,  Lambs,  yea  of  Birds,  Fifhes,  and 
Serpents,  and  placed  them  in  their  Houfes  and  oth- 


368    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

er  Places,  in  a  certain  Order,  according  to  the  fpirit- 
Ual  1  hings  of  the  Church,  to  which  they  corref- 
ponded,  or  which  they  reprefented.  They  did  the 
like  in  their  Temples,  that  they  might  recal  to  their 
Memories  the  holy  Things  which  they  fignified. 
la  Procefs  of  Time,  when  the  Science  of  Correfpon- 
dences  was  loflj  their  Pofterlty  began  to  worfhip 
the  Images  themfelves  as  facred,  not  knowing  that 
their  Anceftors  faw  Nothing  facred  in  them,  but 
that  only  according  to  Correfpondences  they  repre- 
fented and  thereby  fignified  Things  facred.  Thence 
arofe  th*e  Idolatries,  which  filled  the  whole  Earth, 
as  well  Afia  and  its  circumjacent  Iflands,  as  Africa 
and  Europe.  To  the  End  that  all  thefe  Idolatries 
might  be  extirpated,  it  was  permitted  by  the  Divine 
Providence  of  the  Lord,  that  a  new  Religion  fhould 
arife,  accommodated  to  the  Genius  of  the  Eaftern 
Nations ;  in  which  there  fhould  be  Something  out 
of  both  Teflaments  of  the  Word,  and  which  fhould 
teach  that  the  Lord  came  into  the  World,  and  that 
He  was  the  grand  Prophet,  \jnaxwius  Propheta]  the 
wifeft  of  all,  and  the  Son  of  God  :  This  was  efFed- 
ed  by  Mahomet,  from  whom  that  Religion  is  called 
the  Mahometan  Religion.  This  Religion  was  raif- 
ed  up  by  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord,  and 
accommodated,  as  was  obferved,  to  the  Genius  of 
the  Eaftern  Nations,  to  the  End  that  it  might  de- 
flroy  the  Idolatries  which  at  that  Time  fo  generally 
prevailed,  and  give  the  Inhabitants  of  thofe  Coun- 
tries fome  Knowledge  of  the  Lord,  before  they  came 
into  the  fpiritual  World ;  which  Religion  would 
not  have  been  received  by  fo  many  Kingdoms,  nor 
have  had  Power  to  extirpate  their  Idolatries,  if  it 

had 


The  Divine  Providence.        369 

had  not  been  accommodated   and  adapted  to  the 
Ideas  and  Mode  of  Life  prevailing  amongfl:  them  all. 
The   Reafon  why  they  did  not  acknowledge  the 
Lord  as  the  God  of  Heaven  and  Earth,  was  becaufe 
the  Eaftern  Nations  acknowledged  a  God  the  Crea- 
tor of  the  Univerfe,  but  could  not  comprehend  that 
He  Himfelf  came  into  the  World,  and  took  upon 
Him  the  human  Nature ;  as  neither  do  the  Chrif- 
tians  comprehend,  who  therefore  in  Thought  fepa- 
rate  his  Divinity  from  his  Humanity,  and  place  his 
Divinity  befide  the  Father  in  Heaven,  and  his  Hu- 
manity they  know  not  where.     Hence  it  may  be 
feen,  that  the  Mahometan  Religion  alfo  had  its  Or- 
igin in  the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord  ;  and  that 
all  they  of  that  Religion,  who  acknowledge  the 
Lord  as  the  Son  of  God,  and  at  the  fame  Time  live 
according  to  the  Precepts  of  the  Decalogue,  which 
they  alfo  are  in  PofTeflion  of,  by  (hunning  Evils  as 
Sins,  are  received  into  that  Heaven  which  is  called 
the  Mahometan  Heaven  :  That  Heaven  alfo  is  divid- 
ed into  three  Heavens,  a  fupreme,  a  middle,  and  a 
lowed ;  in  the  fupreme  Heaven  are  thofe  who  ac- 
knowledge the  Lord  to  be  one  with   the  Father, 
and  confequently  that  he  is  the  only  God  :    In  the 
fecond  Heaven  are  thofe  who  renounce  a  Plurality 
of  Wives,  and  live  with  one  only  ;  and  in  the  ulti- 
mate Heaven,  are  thofe  who  are  initiated.     More 
Information  concerning  this  Religion  may  be  had 
from  The    Continuation    concerning    the 
Last  Judgment  and  the  Spiritual  World, 
n.  68  to  72,  where  the  Mahometans  and  Mahomet 
are  treated  of. 

Y  y  256.  in. 


370     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

2^6,  111.  Tbat  the  7nerely  natural  Man  confer meth 
himfdf  againji  the  Div'uie  Providence^  when  he  fees 
that  the  Chriftian  Religion  is  received  only  in  the /mall- 
ejl  Smarter  of  the  habitable  Globe ^  ivhich  is  called  Eu* 
rope^  and  that  there  it  is  divided :  The  Realbn  why 
the  Chriftian  Religion  is  eftabliikd  only  in  the  fmall- 
eft  Quarter  of  the  habitable  Globe,  called  Europe, 
is,  becaufe  it  was  not  fo  well  accommodatell  to  the 
Genius  of  the  Eaftern  Nations,  as  the  Mahometan 
Religion,  which  is  mixed,  as  was  fhewn  above,  and 
a  Religion  is  not  received  by  thofe  to  whom  it  is  not 
accommodated  ;  as  for  Example  ;  a  Religion  which 
forbids  the  having  more  than  one  Wife,  is  not  re- 
ceived, but  rejeded  by  thofe,  w^ho  for  fome  Ages 
back  have  been  addicted  to  Polygamy  j  it  is  the 
fame  with  Refped  to  fome  other  Particulars  infifted 
upon  by  the  Chriftian  Religion.  Neither  doth  it 
fignify  whether  it  be  received  by  a  greater  or  a 
fmaller  Part  of  the  World,  provided  there  be  a  Peo- 
ple, who  are  in  Polfeilion  of  the  Word,  for  thence 
Light  is  neverthelefs  received  by  thofe  who  are  out 
of  the  Church,  and  have  not  the  Word,  as  is  fiiewn 
in  The   Doctrine   of  the   New   Jerusalem 

CONCERNING  THE  SaCRED  ScRIPTURE,  n.  I04 

to  113  ;  and  what  is  wonderful,  where  the  Word 
is  read  with  Devotion,  and  the  Lord  is  worftiipped 
out  of  the  Word,  there  the  Lord  is,  with  Heaven ; 
the  Reafon  is,  becaufe  the  Lord  is  the  Word,  and 
the  Word  is  Divine  Truth,  which  conftitutes  Heav- 
en, wherefore  the  Lord  faith,  "  Where  tvco  or  three 
are  gathered  together  in  my  Name^  there  am  I  in  the 
Midjlofthem^'  Matt,  xviii.  20;  this  may  be  effcd^ 
ed  with  the  Word  in  many  Parts  of  the  habitable 

Globe 


The  Divine  Providence.        371 

Globe  by  the  Europeans,  becaufe  they  have  Com- 
munication with  the  wliole  World,  and  they  every 
where  either  read  the  Word  or  teach  from  it :  This 
appears  Hke  a  Fidion,  but  Hill  it  is  true,     'i'hc  Rea- 
son vvhv  the  Chriltian  ReUgion  is  divided,  is,  becaule 
it  is  derived  from  the  Word,  and  the  Word  is  writ-* 
ten  by  mere  Correfpondences,  and  Correfpondences 
are  for- the   mod  Part  Appearances   of  Truth,  in 
which   neverthelefs  genuine  Truths  He  concealed ; 
and  forafmuch  as  the  Dodrine  of  the  Church  is  to 
be  drawn  from  the  literal  Senfe  of  the  Word,  which 
is  of  fuch  a  Nature,  there  could  not  but  exift  in  the 
Church  Difputes,  Controverfies,  and  Difientions,  ef- 
pecially  with  Refpecl  to  the  Meaning  of  the  Word, 
but  not  v;ith  Refped  to  the  Word  itfelf,  and  the 
Lord's  Divinity  itfelf;  for  it  is  every  where  acknowl- 
edged that  the  Word  is  holy,  and  that  the  Lord  is 
Divine,  and  thcfe  two  are  Effentials  of  the  Church ; 
wherefore  alfo  they  who  deny  the  Lord's  Divinity, 
as  they  do  who  are  called  Socinians,  are  excommu- 
nicated from  the  Church  ;  and  they  who  deny  the 
Sandity  of  the  Word,  are  not  reputed  as  Chriflians. 
To  this  I  will  add  a  memorable  Circumftance  rela- 
ting to  the  W^ord,  from  which  it  may  be  concluded, 
that  the  Word  interiorly  is  Divine  Truth  itfelf,  and 
intimately  the  Lord :  When  any  Spirit  opens  the 
W^ord,  and  rubs  his  Face  or  his  Clothes  with  it,  then 
his   Face  or  his   Clothes,  barely  by  being  rubbed 
with  it,  fhine  as  bright  as  the  Moon  or  as  a  Star, 
and  this  in  the  Sight  of  all  whom  he  meets ;  this  is 
a  Proof,  that  there  is  Nothing  in  the  World  more 
holy    than   the   Word.     That  the  Word  is  writ- 
^n  by  mere  Correfpondences,  may  be  feen  in  The 

Doctrine 


372    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concern- 
ing THE  Sacred  Scripture,  n.  5  to  26.  That 
the  Dodrine  of  the  Church  is  to  be  deduced  from 
the  literal  Seufe  of  the  Word,  and  confirmed  by  it, 
in  the  fame,  n.  50  to  61.  That  Herefies  may  b^ 
derived  from  the  literal  Senfe  of  the  Word,  but 
that  .to  confirm  them  is  hurtful,  n.  91  to  97.  That 
the  Church  exifts  from  the  Word,  and  that  its 
(Quality  is  according  to  its  Underftanding  of  the 
Word,  n.  76  to  79. 

257.  IV.  That  the  merely  natural  Man  confirmeth. 

hinifelf  againji  the  Divine  Providetice^  becaufe  in  many^ 

Kingdo'tm^  where  the  Chriftian  Religion  is  received^ 

there  are  fome  who  claim  to  thenifehes  Divine  Power ^ 

and  defire  to  be .worjhippid  as  Gods  ;  aJid  that  they  in- 

voke  dead  Men.     They  fay  indeed  that  they  have 

not  arrogated  to  themfelves  Divine  Pov^^er,  and  that 

they  do  not  defire  to  be  worfhipped  as  Gods ;  but 

yet  they  fay  that  they  can  open  and  fhut  Heaven, 

and   remit  and  retain  Sins,  and  confequently  fave 

and  condemn  Men,  and  this  is  the  Prerogative  of 

Divinity  itfelf;    for   the   Divine   Providence  hath 

ISFothing  elfe  for  its  End,  but  the  Reformation  and 

thereby  the  Salvation  of  Mankind  ;    this  is  its  con* 

tinual  Operation  with  every  one  5    and  Salvation 

cannot  be  effecled  but  by    an    Acknowledgment 

of  the  Lord's  Divinity,  and  Confidence  that  it  is 

wrought  by  Him,  when  Man  liveth  according  to 

his  Commandments  :  Who  cannot  fee,  that  this  is 

the  Babylon  defcribed  in  the  Revelation,  and  the 

Babel  treated  of  in  many  Parts  of  the  Prophets ; 

that  this  is  alfo  meant  by  Lucifer  in  Ifaiah,  Chap. 

xiv.  is  evident  from  the  4th  and  2  2d  Verfes  of  that 

(Chapter, 


The  Divine  Providence, 


2>7i 


Chapter,  in  which  are  the  following  Words,  "  Thou 
Jhalt  declare  this  F arable  concerning  the  King  of  Baby '■ 
lon^^  Verfe  4 ;  afterwards,  "  /  will  cut  off  from  Baby^ 
Ion  the  name  and  Remnant^*'  Verfe  22d ;  from  which 
jt  is  evident,  that  Babylon  is  there  fignified  by  Lu- 
cifer,  of  whom  it  is  faid,  ^'  How  art  thou  fallen  from 
Heaven^  0  Lucifer^  Son  of  the  Morning:    For  thou 
bafifaid  in  thine  Hearty  I  will  afcend  into  Heaven^  / 
will  exalt  my  Throne  above  the  Stars  of  God  ;    /  will 
fit  alfo  upon  the  Mount  of  the  Congregation^  in  the  Sides 
of  pjc  North  ;  I  will  afcend  above  the  Heights  of  the 
Cmds,  I  will  be  like  the  Mofi  High,''  Verfe  12,  13, 
14.  That  they  invoke  dead  Men,  and  offer  up  Pray* 
ers  to  them  for  Succour,  is  well  known  :  It  is  af- 
firmed that  they  invoke  them,  becaufe  the  Invocation 
of  them  is  eflabliflied  by  a  Papal  Bull,  confirming 
the  Decree  of  the  Council  of  Trent,  in  which  it  is 
openly  faid  that  they  are  to  be  invoked  ;  yet  who 
doth  not  know  that  God  alone  is  to  be  invoked,  and 
not  any  dead  Man  ?  But  it  (hall  now  be  fliewn  why 
the  Lord  permitted  fuch  Things :  That  he  permit- 
ted them  for  a  certain  End,  which  End  is  Salvation, 
cannot  be  denied  ;  for  it  is  well  known,  that  with-* 
out  the  Lord  there  is  no  Salvation,  and  inafmuch  as 
this  is  the  Cafe,  there  was  a  NecefFity  that  the 
Lord  fhould  be  preached  out  of  the  Word,  and 
thereby  the  Chriftian  Church  eftablifhed  ;  but  this 
could  not  be  effeded  but  by  Leaders  [^Antefgnani,'] 
who  fhould  do  it  with  Zeal ;    nor  were  there  any 
others  to  be  had,  but  fuch  as  were  heated,   as  it 
were  with  Zeal,  from  the  Fire  of  Self- Love ;  this 
Fire  firfl  excited  them  to  preach  the  Lord  and  teach 
the  Word  3  from  this  their  primitive  State  it  is,  that 

Lucfer 


374    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Lucifer  is  called  the  Son  of  the  Mor?7ing^  Verfe  12. 
But  as  they  cr.me  to  fee,  that  they  fhould  be  able  to 
have  Dominion  by  M^^ans   of  the   holy  Things  of 
the  Word  and  of  the  Church,  Self-Love,  by  which 
they  were  firft  excited  to  preach  the  Lord,  broke 
out  from  within,  and  at  length  exalted  itfelf  to  fuch 
a  Height,  that  they  transferred  all  the  Divine  Pow- 
er of  the  Lord  to  thenifelves,  not  leaving  him  any. 
1'his  could  not  be  prevented   by  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence of  the  Lord,  for  if  it  had  been  prevented, 
they  would  have  proclaimed  that  the  Lord  was^-not 
God,  and  the  Word  not  facred,  and  would- have 
turned  Socinians  or  Arians,  and  fo  would  have  de- 
ftroyed  the  whole  Church  ;  which,  whatfoever  the 
Character  of  its  Rulers  may  be,  flill  remains  among 
the  People  who  are  under   them  ;  for  all  they  of 
that  Religion,  who    alfo  approach  the  Lord,  and 
fhun  Evils  as  Sins,  are  faved  ;  for  which  Reafon 
there  are  many  celeflial  Societies  of  them  in  the 
fpiritual  World  ;  and  it  is  alfo  provided,  that  there 
fhould  be  among  them  a  Nation  which  hath  not 
fubmitted  to  the  Yoke  of  fuch  a  Dominion,   and 
which  confiders  the  Word  as  facred,  which  is  the 
noble  French  Nation.     But  what  was  the   Confc- 
quence  ?  When  Self-Love  had  exalted  its  Domin- 
ion even  unto  the  Throne  of  the  Lord,  had  re^ 
moved   Him  thence,  and  placed  itfelf  upon  it,  this 
Love,  which  is  Lucifer,  could  not  do  otherwife 
than  profane  all  Things  appertaining  to  the  Word 
and  the  Church  ;  and  to  prevent  this,  the  Lord  fo 
ordered   it   of  his   Divine   Providence,  that  they 
fnould  depart  from  the  Worfliip  of  Him,  and  in- 
voke   dead  Men,   pray    to    Images  of  fuch,  kifs 

their 


The  Divine  Providence.        375 

their  Bones,  prollrate  themfelves  at  their  Sepulchres, 
forbid  the  Word  to  be  read,  and  place  the  Sanftity 
of  Divine  Worfnip  in  Mafles  not  under  flood  by  [he 
Vulgar,  and  fell  Salvation  for  Money  ;  inafmuch  as 
if  they  had  not  done  thefe  Things,  they  Vvould  have 
profaned  the  holy  Things  of  the  Word  and  of  the 
Church  5  for,  as  was  Hiewn  in  the  preceding  Para- 
graph, none  can  profane  Things  facred,  but  they 
who  know  fuch  Things.  Therefore  that  they  might 
not  profane  the  moll:  holy  Supper,  it  is  of  the  Di- 
vine Providence  of  the  Lord,  that  they  fhould  di- 
vide it,  and  give  the  Bread  to  the  People,  and  drink 
the  Wine  themfelves  ;  for  the  Wine  in  the  holy 
Supper  fignifies  holy  Truth,  and  the  Bread  holy 
Good,  but  when  they  are  divided,  the  Wine  fig- 
nifies Truth  profaned,  and  the  Bread  Good  adulter- 
ated ;  and  it  is  provided  moreover  that  they  fhould 
make  it  corporeal  and  material,  and  account  this- 
Doctrine  to  be  a  primary  Tenet  of  Religion.  He 
•who  attends  to  thefe  Particulars,  and  weighs  theni 
in  fome  Illumination  of  Mind,  may  fee  the  wonder- 
ful Operation  of  the  Divine  Providence,  in  guarding 
the  holy  Things  of  the  Church,  and  faving  ail 
who  are  capable  of  being  faved,  and  fnatching  as  it 
were  out  of  the  Fire  thofe  who  will  fuffer  them- 
felves to  be  fnatched  away. 

258.  V.  That  the  merely  natural  Man  conjirmetb 
hmfclf  againjl  the  Divine  Providence  from  this  Cir^ 
eumjlance^  that  among  thofe  who  profcfs  the  Chriftian 
Religion^  there  are  fome  loho  place  Salvation  in  certain 
Words  which  they  are  to  think  and  fpcaky  and  not  in 
any  Good  they  arc  to  do :  That  Perfons  of  this  De- 
fcription  are  fuch  as  make  Salvation  to  confift  in 

Faith 


376    ANtJELic  Wisdom  concerning 

Faith  alone,  and  not  in  a  Life  of  Charity,  confe- 
quently  who  feparate  Faith  from  Charity,  is  fhewn 
in  The  Doctrine  OF  the  New  Jerusalem  con- 
cerning Faith^  and  alfo  that  they  are  meant  in  the 
Word  by  the  Philiflnies,  by  the  Dragon,  and  by  the 
Goats.     That  fuch  a  Dodlrine  is  alfo  permitted,  is 
of  the  Divine  Providence,  in  Order  that  the  Lord's 
Divinity  and  the  Sandity  of  the  Word  might  not  be 
profaned  ;  the  Lord's  Divinity  is  not  profaned,  when 
Salvation  is  placed  in  the  uttering  of  thefe  Words, 
*'  That  God  the  Father  would  have  Mercy  for  the 
Sake  of  his  Son,  who  fufFered  on  the  Crofs,  and 
made  Satisfaction  for  us ;"  for  by  ufmg  this  Form 
of  Words,  they  do  not  approach  the  Lord's  Divinity, 
but  his  Humanity,  which  they  do  not  acknowledge 
to  be  Divine  ;  neither  is  the  Word  profaned,  becaufe 
they  do  not  attend  to  thofe  Paflages  where  Mention 
is  made  of  Love,  and  of  Charity^  and  of  doing 
Good,  and  of  Works  ;  all  thefe  they  fay  are  con- 
tained in  the  Faith  of  the  above  Form  of  Words  ; 
and  they  who  confirm  themfelves  herein,  fay  to  them- 
felves,  the  Law  doth  not  condemn  me,  therefore  nei- 
ther doth  Evil,  and  Good  doth  not  fave  me,  becaufe 
Good  from  myfelf  is  not  Good  ;  wherefore  they 
are  like  thofe  who  do  not  know  any  Truth  out  o£ 
the  Word,  and  for  that  Reafon  cannot  profane  it. 
But  Faith  in  the  above  Form  of  Words  is  not  con- 
firmed by  any,  except  thofe  who  from  Self-Love 
are  in  the  Pride  of  Self-derived  Intelligence,  neither 
are  they  Chriftians  in  their  Hearts,  but  only  defire 
to  feem  fuch.      1  hat  neverthelefs  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence of  the  Lord   continually  Ojierates,  that  they 
may  be  faved,  with  whom  Faith  feparated  from 

Charity 


The  Divine  PROViDjeNCE.         377 

Charity  is  made  the  Ground  of  Religion,  fhall  now 
be  (liewn :  It  is  of  tlie  Divitia  Providence  of  the 
Lord,  that  although  this  Faith  is  made  the  EfT^n- 
tial  of  Religion,  ftill  every  one  knoweth,  that  thi^ 
Faith  does  not  fave,  but  a  Life  of  Charity  with 
which  Faith  acteth  as  one ;  for  in  all  the  Churches 
where  this  Religion  is  received  it  is  taught,  that 
there  is  no  Salvation.^  except  a  Man  examine  hiniw 
felf^  fee  his  Sins,  acknowledge  them,  repent,  defift 
from  them,  and  enter  upon  a  new  Courfe  of  Life  ; 
this  is  read  with  much  Zeal  before  ihofe  who  ap- 
proach the  holy  Supper ;  and  it  is  added^  that  un- 
lefs  they  do  this,  they  mix  Things  holy  andprofane^ 
and  call:  themfelves  into  eternal  Damnation  ;  yea  in 
England,  that  unlets  they  do  this,  the  Devil  vrAl  en* 
ter  into  them  as  he  did  into  Judas,  and  deftroy 
them  both  Soul  and  Body:  Hence  it  is  evident, 
that  every  one  in  the  Churches,  where  Faith  alone 
is  received,  is  taught  neverthelefs  that  Evils  are  to 
be  fhunned  as  Sins.  Moreover,  every  one  who  is 
born  a  Chriflian,  knoweth  alfo  that  Evils  are  to  be 
fhunned  as  Sins,  by  Reafon  that  the  Decalogue  k 
put  into  the  Hai;ids  of  every  Boy  and  Girl,  and  h 
taught  by  Parents  and  Mailers  ;  likewife  all  the 
Subjects  of  a  Kingdom^  particularly  the  common 
People,  are  examined  by  the  Pried  out  of  the  Dec- 
alogue v/hich  they  have  got  by  Heart,  what  they 
know  of  the  Chriftian  Religion,  and  are  alfo  admon- 
ifhed  to  do  the  Things  that  are  contained  therein  ; 
at  fuch  Times,  they  are  never  told  by  any  Piicfl 
that  they  are  not  utider  the  Yoke  of  that  Law,  nor 
that  they  cannot  do  the  Things  therein  commanded, 
becaufe  they  cannot  do  any  Good  from  themlt^lve::, 
Z  z  The 


378     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

The  Athanafian  Creed  is  alfo  received  by  the  whob 
Chriflian  World,  and  what  is  laid  in  the  laR  Part 
gfitis  acknowledged,  namely,  that  the  Lord  will 
come  to  judge  both  the  Q^i.ick  and  the  Dead,  and 
then  they  who  have  done  Good  lliall  eiuer  into  ever- 
lalling  Life,  and  they  who  have  done  Evil  into  ever- 
lartingFire.  In  Sweden,  where  the  Religion  of  Faith 
alone  is  received,  it  is  alfo  plainly  taught  that  there 
is  no  Faith  feparate  from  Chanty,  or  without  good 
Works,  and  this  in  a  certain  Memorial  annexed  and 
inferted  in  all  the  Books  of  the  PfalmSj  which  is  en- 
titled Impediments  or  Stumbling  Blocks  to  the  Im« 
penitent,  (Obotferdigas  Foerhinder)  in  which 
there  are  thefe  Words,  "  They  who  are  rich  in 
good  Works  fliew  thereby  that  they  are  rich  in 
Faith,  becaufe  when  Faith  is  faving,  it  operateth  by 
Charity  ;  for  juflifying  Faith  never  exifteth  alone 
and  feparate  from  good  Works,  as  there  is  no  good 
Tree  without  Fruit,  no  Sun  without  Light  and 
Heat,  and  no  Water  without  Moifture."  Thefe  few 
Cii  cumftances  are  adduced  that  it  may  be  known_, 
that  although  the  Religion  of  Faith  alone  is  receiv- 
ed, ftili  the  Goods  of  Charity,  which  are  good 
Works,  are  every  where  taught,  and  that  this  is  of 
the  Divine  Providence  of  the  Lord,  left  the  com- 
mon People  ihouki  thereby  be  feduced.  I  have 
heard  Luther,  with  whom  I  have  fomctimes  con- 
verfed  in  the  fpiritual  World,  curfe  Soiifidianifm, 
and  fay,  that  when  he  eftablifhed  it,  he  was  warned 
by  an  Angel  of  the  Lord  not  to  do  it  ^  but  that  he 
thought  with  himfelf,  that  if  he  did  not  reje^i^ 
Works,  there  w^ould  be  no  feparation  effedled  from 
.the  Roman  Catholic  Religion,  for  which  Reafoa 

he 


The  Divine  Providence.        379 

he  confirmed  that  Faith  contrary  to  the  Warning  he 
had  received. 

259.  VI.  That  the  merely  natural  Man  conjirmcih 
himfclf  aga'wjl  the  Divine  Providence^  becaufc  there 
have  becn^  and  Jlill  are  fo  many  Hcrcftcs  in  the  Chrif- 
tian  Worlds  fitch  as  thofe  of  the  .fakers ^  Moravians^ 
Anabaptijls^  and  others  ;  for  he  can  think  with  him- 
felf,  if  the  Divine  Providence,  by  Means  of  its  Ope- 
ration in  every  Particular,  were  univerfal,  and  had 
in  View  the  Salvation  of  all,  it  would  have  eflab- 
iifhed  one  true  Religion  throughout  the  World, 
and  not  have  fuffered  it  to  be  divided,  much  lefs 
torn  to  Pieces  by  Herefies  :  But  ufe  your  Reafon, 
and  think  with  more  Elevation  of  Mind,  if  you  arc 
able,  and  then  tell  me,  can  a  Man  be  faved  unlefs 
he  be  firft  reformed  ?  for  he  is  born  to  ihe  Love 
of  Self  and  of  the  World,  and  forafmuch  as  thefe 
Loves  do  not  contain  in  them  any  Love  towards 
God,  or  any  Love  towards  his  Neighbour,  except 
for  the  Sake  of  Self,  he  is  alfo  born  into  all  Kinds 
of  Evils  :  For,  is  there  a  fmgle  Spark  of  Love  or 
Mercy  in  thofe  Loves  ?  Doth  he  make  any  Account 
of  defrauding  another,  blafpheming  him,  hating 
him  even  to  the  Death,  committing  Adultery  with 
his  Wife,  raging  againft  him  when  he  is  in  a  re- 
vengeful Humour  ?  inafmuch  as  the  Thing  nearell 
to  his  Heart  is,  that  he  may  be  fupreme  over  all, 
confequently  he  confiders  others  in  Comparifon 
with  himfelf  as  vile,  and  of  no  Edimation  ;  in  Or- 
der that  fuch  a  one  may  be  faved,  mud  he  not  firft 
be  drawn  away  from  thefe  Evils,  and  fo  reformed  ? 
That  this  cannot  be  efFeded  but  in  Conformity  to 
feveral  Laws,  which  2^re  Laws  of  the  Divine  Provi. 

dence. 


380    Angelic  Wisdom  goncerninq 

dence,  is  fully  fliewn.  above  ;  which  Laws  for  the 
moll  FziVt  are  unknown,  and  yet  they  are  Laws  of 
the  Divine  VVifdom,  and  at  the  fame  Time  of  the 
Divine  Love,  againft  which  the  Lord  cannot  act, 
for  to  ad  againfl  them,  would  be  to  deflroy  Man, 
and  not  to  fave  him  ;  read  over  again  the  Laws 
which  have  been  adduced,  compare  them,  and  you 
^yill  fee.  Therefore  fmce  it  is  conformable  to  thofe 
Laws,  that  there  fhould  not  be  any  immediate  In- 
fiux  from  Heaven,  but  mediate  through  the  Word, 
throu2:h  Docurines  and  Preachings,;  and  fmce  the 
Word,  that  it  might  be  Divine,  could  not  be  writ- 
ten but  by  mere  Correfpondences,  it  follows,  that 
DilTenfions  and  Herefies  are  inevitable,  and  that  the 
Permifhon  of  thefe  is  alfo  according  to  the  Laws  of 
the  Divine  Providence ;  efpecially,  when  the  Church 
itfelf  had  afmmed  for  its  Effentials  fuch  Things  as 
belong  to  the  Undcrftanding  only,  and  fo  to  Doc- 
trine, and  not  to  the  Will,  and  fo  to  the  Condud 
of  Life  ;  and  when  the  Things  which  have  Relation, 
to  Life  are  not  made  Effentials  of  the  Church,  then 
Man  with  Refpecl  to  his  Under  (landing  is  in  mere 
Daiiaiefs,  and  gropes  about  like  a  bhnd  Man,  who 
is  ever  (lu"^bling,  and  falling  into  Ditches ;  for  the 
Will  mud  fee  in  the  Underdanding,  and  not  the 
Underilanding  in  the  Will,  or,  what  amounts  to 
the  fame,  the  Life  and  its  I.ove  mull  lead  the  Un- 
derllanding  to  think,  fpeak,  and  ad:,  and  not  'vice 
verfil ;  for  if  the  Cafe  were  reverfed,  the  Under^ 
{landing  might  from  an  evil,  yea,  a  diabolical  Love, 
catch  at  whatfoever  impreffed  the  Senfes,  and  enjoin 
the  Will  to  do  it.  Hence  it  may  be  feen,  whence 
DiffenUons  and  Herefies  exiil.  But  yet  it  is  provided, 

that 


The  Divine  Providence.         381 

that  every  one,  in  whatfoever  Herefy  he  may  be 
with  Refpedi:  to  his  Underftanding,  may  flill  be  re- 
formed and  faved,  provided  he  fliuns  Evils  as  Sins, 
and  doth  not  confirm  heretical  Falfes  in  himfelf ;  for 
by  (hunning  Evils  as  Sins  the  Will  is  reformed,  and 
by  the  Will  the  Underftanding,  which  then  firft 
emerges  out  of  Darknefs  into  Light.  There  are 
three  Elfentials  of  the  Church,  an  Acknowledgment 
of"  the  Lord's  Divinity,  an  Acknowledgment  of  the 
Holnefs  of  the  Word,  and  the  Life  which  is  called 
Charity  ;  conformable  to  his  Life,  that  is,  his  Char- 
icy,  every  Man's  Faith  is  ;  from  the  Word  he  hath 
a  Knowledge  of  v/hat  his  Life  ought  to  be,  and  from 
the  Lord  he  hath  Reformation  and  Salvation.  If 
thefe  three  had  been  held  as  Elfentials  of  the  Church, 
intellectual  Diflenfions  would  not  have  divided  it, 
but  would  only  have  varied  it,  as  the  Light  varieth 
Colours  in  beautiful  Objects,  and  as  various  Jewels 
conftitute  the  beauty  of  a  kingly  Crown. 

260.  VIL  That  the  merely  natural  Man  confirmeih 
h'lmfclf  againfi  the  Divine  Providence ^  hecaufe  yiidaifm 
Jiill  continues  ;  that  is,  becaufe  the  Jews,  after  the 
Lapfe  of  fo  many  Ages,  are  not  converted,  although 
they  live  among  Chrillians,  and  do  not  according  to 
the  Predi6lions  in  the  Word  confefs  the  Lord,  and 
acknowledge  him  as  the  Mefliah,  who,  as  they  im- 
agine, is  to  lead  them  back  into  the  Land  of  Canaan, 
but  conftantly  perfift  in  denying  him,  and  yet  it  go- 
eth  well  with  them  :  But  they  who  think  thus,  and 
for  that  Reafon  call  in  Queftion  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, do  not  know  that  by  the  Jews  in  the  Word 
are  meant  all  who  are  of  the  Church  and  acknowl- 
edge the  Lord,  and  that  by  the  Land  of  Canaan, 

into 


382    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

into  'which  it  is  faid  they  are  to  be  introduced,  is 
meant  the  Lord's  Church  :  But  the  Reafon  why 
they  perfevere  in  denying  the  Lord,  is,  becauf^  they 
are  of  fuch  a  Difpofition,  that  if  they  were  to  re- 
ceive and  acknowledge  the  Lord's  Divinity,  and  the 
holy  Things  of  his  Church,  they  would  profane 
them  ;  wherefore  the  Lord  faith  of  them,  "  He  hath 
blinded  their  Eyes,  and  hardened  their  Heart,  that 
they  Jhould  not  fee  with  their  Eyes,  7ior  underjiand  with 
their  Heart,  and  he  converted,  and  I  jhould  heal  them^^ 
John  xii.  40.  Matt.  xiii.  14.  Mark  iv.  12.  Luke 
viii.  10.  Ifaiah  vi.  9,  10  ;  .it  is  faid,  left  they  fhould 
be  converted,  and  I  fhould  heal  them,  becaufe  if 
they  had  been  converted  and  healed,  they  would 
have  been  guilty  of  Profanation  ;  and  it  is  a  Law 
of  the  Divine  Providence,  as  was  (hewn  above,  n. 
221  to  233,  that  no  one  is  more  interiorly  let  into 
the  Truths  of  Faith  and  Goods  of  Charity  by  the 
Lord,  than  fo  far  as  he  can  be  kept  in  them  to  his 
Life's  End,  and  in  Cafe  it  were  not  fo,  he  woul4 
profane  Things  holy.  The  Reafon  why  this  Nation 
is  preferved,  and  fcatteied  over  a  great  Part  of  the 
Earth,  is  for  the  Sake  o£  the  Word  in  its  original 
Language,  which  they  hold  more  facred  than  Chrif^ 
tians  do,  and  in  every  Particular  of  the  Word  is  the 
Divinity  of  the  Lord,  for  it  is  Divine  Truth  united 
ta  Divine  Good,  which  proceedeth  from  the  Lord, 
and  thereby  the  Word  is  the  Conjundion  of  the 
Lord  with  the  Church,  and  the  Prefence  of  HeaVen, 
as  is  (hewn  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem   CONCERNING   THE    SaCRED  ScRIPTURE, 

n.  62  to  69  ;   and  the  Prefence  of  the  Lord  and  of 
Heaven  taketh  Place  wherefoever  the  Word  is  read 

with 


The  Divine  Providence.        3S3 

With  Devoilon  :  This  is  the  End  which  the  Divine 
Providence  hath  in  View,  in  preferving  and  dilperl- 
ing  them  over  a  great  Part  of  the  World.  What 
the  Nriture  of  their  Lot  is  after  Death,  may  be  feeu 
in  The  Continuation  concerning  the  Last 
Judgment  and  the  Spiritual  World,  n.  79 
to  82. 

261.  Thefe  then  are  the  CIrcumftances  adduced 
above,  n.  238,  by  which  the  natural  Man  does,  or 
may  confirm  himfelf  againfl:  the  Divine  Providence  $ 
there  follow  fome  others,  mentioned  above,  n.  239^ 
which  may  alfo  fervc  the  natural  Man  as  Arguments 
againfl  the  Divine  Providence,  and  may  likewife 
occur  to  the  Minds  of  others,  and  fuggell  foma 
Doubts,  which  are  : 

262.  L  That  a  Doubt  ?nay  be  inferred  ctgainjl 
the  Divine  Providence,  by  Reafon  that  the  whole 
Chrijllan  World  worjhippeth  God  under  three  Pcrfons^ 
which  is,  three  Gods  ;  and  that  hitherto  they  did  not 
know,  that  God  is  one  in  Perfon  and  in  E[fence,  in 
^j<;hQm  there  is  a  Trinity,  and  that  that  God  is  ths 
Lord,  The  Reafoner  concerning  the  Divine 
Providence  may  fay.  Are  not  three  Perfons  three 
Gods,  when  each  Perfon  by  himfelf  is  God  ?  Who 
can  think  otherwife,  yea,  who  doth  think  otherwife  I 
Athanafius  himfelf  could  not  think  otherwife, 
wherefore  in  the  Creed  which  hath  its  Name  from 
him,  he  faith,  "  Although  we  are  compelled  by  Chrif* 
tian  Verity  to  acknowledge  each  Perfon  by  himfelf  to  be 
God  and  Lord  ;  yet  are  we  forbidden  by  the  Chriflian 
Faith  to  fay  or  name  three  Gods  or  three  Lords  ;**  by 
which  Words  Nothing  elfe  can  be  underltood,  than 
that  we  ought  to   acknowledge  three  Gods  and 

Lords, 


384     AnC^LIC    WlSbOM    CONCERNING 

Lords,  but  that  we  ought  not  to  fay  there  ard 
three  Gods  and  three  Lords.  Who  can  poffibly 
have  a  Perception  of  one  God,  iinleis  he  be  alfo' 
one  in  Perlon  ?  If  it  be  ^illeged,  that  fuch  Percep- 
tion may  be  had,  provided  you  think,  that  the 
three  Perfons  have  one  Elience,  who  from  thence 
does  or  can  perceive  any  Thing  ehe,  than  that  in 
this  Caie  they  are  unanimous,  and  confenting,  and 
yet  that  they  are  thres  Gods  ?  And  if  a  Man  el- 
evates his  Thoughts,  he  faith  with  himfelf,  how 
can  the  Divine  EifencCj  which  is  Infinite,  be  divided^, 
and  how  can  it  from  Eternity  beget  another,  and 
ftill  produce  a  third,  who  proceedeth  from  both  ? 
It  may  poiTibly  be  faid^  that  this  is  to  be  believed,- 
and  ought  not  to  be  thought  of;  but  who  doth 
net  think  of  that  which  he  is  told  he  ought  to  be- 
lieve, otherwife  how  can  there  be  any  Acknowl- 
edgment which  is  the  Effence  of  Faith  ?  Did  not 
Socinianifm  and  Arianifm,  which  reign  in  the 
Hearts  of  more  People  than  you  imagine,  take  their 
Rife  from  thinking  of  God  as  of  three  Perfons  ? 
A  Belief  in  one  God,  and  that  that  one  God  is 
the  Lord,  conftitutes  the  Church,  for  in  Him  there 
is  a  Divine  Trinity  ;  that  this  is  true,  may  be  feeti 
in  The  Doctrine  of  the  Ntw  Jerusalem 
CONCERNING  THE  LoRD,  from  Beginning  to  End* 
But  what  is  thought  of  the  Lord  zt  this  Day  ?  Is  it 
not  thought  that  he  is  God  and  Man,  God  from 
Jehovah  his  Fathef,  by  whom  he  wr-s  conceived^ 
and  Man  from  the  Virgin  Mary,  of  whom  he  was; 
born  ?  Who  thinks,  that  God  and  Man  in  Him,  or 
his  Divinity  and  his  Humanity,  are  one  Perfon,  and 
that  they  are  one  as  the  Soul  and  Body  are  one  ? 

Doth 


*  The  Divine  Providence.        385 

Doth  any  one  know  this  ?  Afk  the  Dodors  of  the 
Church,  and  they  will  fay  that  they  did  not  kfiow 
it,  when  nevcrthelefs  it  is  the  Dodrine  of  the 
Church  received  throughout  the  whole  Chriftian 
World,  which  is  as  follows,  *'  Our  Lord  Jefus 
Chriji^  the  Son  of  Gdd,  is  God  and  Man^  mid  alt  hough 
he  is  God  and  Man^  he  is  not  two,  but  one  Chri/i  ;  one 
by  the  taking  of  the  Manhood  into  God.,  [_becaafe  God 
took  to  Hlmfelf  the  Manhood  or  hiimari  Nature']  one 
altogether^  by  Unity  of  Perfon^for  as  the  Soul  and  Body 
is  one  Man^fo  God  and  Man  is  one  Chrifc  :'*  This  is 
taken  from  Athanafius's  Cread :  The  Reafon  why 
they  did  tlot  know  it,  is,  becaule  when  they  read  it, 
they  did  not  think  of  the  Lord  as  God,  but  only  as 
a  Man.  If  the  fame  be  afked  whether  they  know 
by  whom  he  was  conceived,  whether  by  God  the 
Father,  or  by  his  own  Divinity^  they  will  anfwer 
that  he  was  conceived  by  God  the  Father,  for  this 
is  according  to  Scripture :  Are  not  the  Father  and 
He  then  one^  as  the  Soul  and  Body  are  one  ?  Who 
tan  think  that  he  was  conceived  by  two  Divinities, 
and  if  by  his  own  Divinity,  that  this  was  his  Father  ? 
If  you  afk  them  again,  What  is  your  Idea  of  the 
Lord's  Divinity,  and  what  of  his  Humanity  ?  they 
will  fay  that  his  Divinity  is  from  the  EfTence  of  the: 
Father,  and  his  Humanity  from  the  Eilence  of  thel 
Mother,  and  that  his  Divinity  is  with  the  Father : 
And  if  you  then  afk,  where  is  his  Humanity,  they 
will  make  no  Anfwer  ;  for  they  feparate  in  Idea  his 
Divinity  from  his  Humanity,  and  make  his  Divinity 
equal  to  the  Divinity  of  the  Fathef ,  and  his  Human- 
ity fimilar  to  that  of  another  Man,  and  do  not  know 
that  in  fo  doing  they  alfo  feparate  Soul  and  Body  j 
A  A  a  nor 


386    Angelic  Wisdom  concernin<j 

ncr  do  ihey  fee  the  Contradi^lion,  that  in  this  Caf« 
he  would  have  been  born  a  rational  Man  from  the 
Mother  alone.  In  Coafequence  of  the  idea  im- 
pref.ed  concerning  the  Lord's  Iluriianity,  that  It 
WAS  like  the  Plumanity  of  another  Man,  it  is  now 
ccme  to  pals,  that  a  Chriftian  cannot  withciVt  Diffi- 
culty be  led  to  think  of  A  Divine  Human  (Being,) 
although  it  fnould  be  laid  that  the  Lord's  Soul  or 
Life  was  by  Conception,  and  is,  Jehovah  Himfelf.- 
Colled  thefe  Reafons  now,  and  confider  whether 
there  be  any  other  God  of  the  Llniverfe  but  the 
Lord  alone,  in  whom  is  the  eifential  all-creating 
Divine  [Principle]  which  is  called  the  Father,  the 
Divine  Human  [Principle]  which  is  called  the  Son, 
and  the  proceeding  Divine  [Principle]  w  hich  is  call- 
ed the  Holy  Spirit,  and  therefore  that  God  is  one  in 
Perfon  and  ElTence,  and  that  that  God  is  the  Lord. 
If  you  infift  and  fay,  that  the  Lord  himfelf  tiamed 
three  in  Matthew,  when  he  faid,  ^'  Go  and  teach  all 
Isaiions^  baptizing  them  in  the  Name  of  the  Tathcr^ 
and  of  the  SoUy  and  of  the  Holy  Ghoj}^'^  xxviii.  19  ; 
I  anfwer,  it  is  evident  from  the  preceding  and  fol- 
lowing Verfes,  that  he  faid  this,  to  the  End  it  might 
be  known,  that  in  Himfelf  now  glorified  there  was 
a  Divine  Trinity  ;  in-  the  Verfe  immediately  prece- 
ding he  faith,  that  all  Pozver  was  given  Him  in  Heav-^ 
en  and  in  Earthy  and  in  the  fucceeding  Verfe,  that 
He  would  be  with  them  until  the  Confumination  of  the 
Age^  confequently  he  fpeaks  of  Himfelf  alone,  and 
not  of  Three.  Now  with  Refpe6:  to  the  Divine 
Providence,  and  the  Reafon  why  it  permitted  Chrif-- 
tians  to  worfliip  one  God  under  three  Perfons,  which 
amounts  to  the  fame  as  three  Gods,  and  that  hith^ 

erto 


The  Divine  Providence.         387 

erto  they  did  not  know,  that  God  is  one  In  Pcrfon 
and  Eiience,  in  whom  there  is  a  Trinity,  and  that 
that  God  is  the  Lord  ;    the  Reafon  doth  not  exift 
in  the  Lord,  but  in  Man  himfelf ;  the  Lord  taught 
it  maniteiUy  in  his  Word,  as  may  appear  from  all 
the  FalTages  quoted  in  The  Doctrine  of  the 
]S[ew  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Lord;    and 
moreover  he  taught  it  in  the  Doclrine  of  all  the 
Churches,  in  which  it  is  infifted,  that  his  Divinity 
^nd  his  Humanity    are  not  two,  but  one  Perfon, 
united  like  Soul  and  Body :    But  the  Reafon  why 
they  divided  his  Divinity  and  Humanity,  and  made 
his  Divinity  equal  to  the  Divinity  of  Jehovah  the 
Father,  and  his  Humanity  equal  to  the  Humanity 
of  another  Man,  was,  becaufe  the  Church  after  its 
Eflablilhment  lapsed  into  Babylon,  which  transfer- 
red to  itfelf  the  Divine  Power  of  tlie  Lord  ;  never- 
thelefs  that  it  might  not  be  called  Divine  Power 
but  human,  they  made  the  Lord's  Humanity  fmi- 
ilar  to  the  Humanity  of  another  Man :  Ahd  after- 
wards when  the  Church  was  reformed,  and  Faith 
alone  received  as  the  fole  Means  of  Salvation  (which 
is  that  God  the  Father  would  have  Mercy  for  the 
Sake  of  his  Son,)  neither  then  could  the  Lord's 
Humanity  be  viewed  in  any  other  Light ;  the  Rea^ 
fon  why  it  could  not,  is,  becaufe  no  one  can  ap- 
proach the  Lord,  and  acknowledge  Him  in  his  Heart 
as  the  God  of  Heaven  and  Earth,  but  fuch  as  live 
according  to   his  Commandments  ;   in  the  fpirituaj 
World,  where  every  one  is  obliged  to  fpeak  as  he 
thinks,  no  one  can  even  name  Jefus,  unlefs  he  has  hv- 
ed  in  the  World  as  a  Chriftian  ;  and  this  from  his  Di- 
vine Providence,  left  liis  Name  ihould  be  profaned. 

263.  But 


3S8    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

263.  But  that  what  hath  now  been  faid  may  ap* 
pear  more  clearly,  I  will  add  what  is  adduced  in 
The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  con^ 
CERNiNG  THE  LoRE,  towards  the  End,  n.  60,  6i, 
which  is  as  follows,  "  That  God  and  Man  in  thd 
^'  Lord  are  according  to  the  Do6lrine  not  two,  but 
*'  one  Perfon,  and  ahogether  one,  even  as  the  Soul 
^*and  Body  are  one,  appears  clearly  from  many 
^'  Things  which  the  Lord  faid  himfelf,  as,  that 
^'  the  Father  and  himfelf  are  one  ;  that  all  Things 
^'  of  the  Father  are  his,  and  all  Things  of  his  the 
^'  Father's ;  that  he  is  in  the  Father,  and  tjie  Fa« 
^^  ther  in  him  ;  that  all  Things  are  given  into  his 
*'  Hand  ;  that  he  has  all  Power  ;  that  he  is  the 
^'  God  of  Heaven  and  Earth  ;  that  whofoever  be- 
^'  lieves  in  him  has  eternal  Life ;  and  moreover, 
"  that  he  afcended  into  Heaven,  both  as  to  his 
^'  Divinity  and  Humanity,  and  that,  with  Refpect 
^'  to  each,  he  fitteth  on  the  right  Hand  of  God, 
"  which  m.eans  that  he  is  Almighty  5  befides  many 
^'  PalTages  v'hich  are  copioufly  quoted  in  the  former 
^'  Part  of  this  Work,  from  the  Word,  concerning 
^'  his  Divine  Humanity,  all  of  which  teflify  that 
^'  God  is  one  as  well  in  Person  as  in  Essence  ; 

^'  THAT  IN  HIM  IS  A  TrINITY,    AND   THAT  THAT 

^'  God  is  the  Lord.  The  Reafon  why  thefe 
^^  Things  relative  to  the  Lord  are  now  for  the  firft 
*'  Time  made  publickly  known  is,  becaufe  it  is  fore- 
^'  told  in  the  Apocalypfe,  Chap,  xxi.  and  xxii.  that 
^'  a  New  Chvirch  fhould  be  eftablifhed  by  the  Lord, 
^'  when  the  former  Church  fhould  come  to  an  End, 
^'  which  New  Church  was  to  be  founded  upon  this 
^'  Acknowledgment  of  the  Lord  as  a  firft  and  prin- 
cipal 


The  Divine  Providence*        389 

**  cipal  Truth.     This  Church  is  what  is  meant  by 
**  the  New  Jerufalem  there  mentioned,  into  which 
*^  none  can  enter,  but  fuch  as  acknowledge   th.e 
*'  Lord  alone  as  the  God  of  Heaven  and  Earth, 
*^  wherefore  this  Church  is  there  called  The  Wife 
*'  OF  THE  Lamb  :  And  this  I  can  aver,  that  the  uni- 
*^  verfal  Heaven  doth  thus  acknowledge  the  Lord  ; 
*'  and  that  whofoever  doth  not  fo  acknowledge  him 
*'  is  not  admitted  therein  ;    for  Heaven  exiRs  as 
*'  Heaven  folely  from  the  Lord.     It  is  this  Ac* 
*'  knowledgment,   grounded   in  Love   and   Faith, 
"  which  caufeth  all  the  Inhabitants  of  Heaven  to  be 
*'  in  the  Lord,  and  the  Lord  in  them,  according  to 
*'  what  He  Himfelf  teaches  in  John,  "  In  that  Day 
*'  ye  Jfjall  know  that  I  am  in  my  Father,  and  ye  in  Mf, 
"  and  I  inyouy^  xiv.  20.     And  again,  Abide  in  Me 
*'  and  I  in  you  :    I  am  the  Vine,  ye  are  the  Branches j 
*'  he  that  abideth  in  Me  and  I  in  him,  the  fame  brijig- 
*'  eth  forth  much  Fruit ;  for  without  Me  ye  can  do 
*'  Nothing  :  If  a  Man  abide  not  in  Me,  he  is  caji  out^* 
"  Chap.  XV.  4,  5,  6.      Chap.  xvii.  22,  23.      The 
"  Reafon  why  this  Do£trine  concerning  the  Lord 
*'  was  not  before  difcovered  from  the  Word,  is,  be- 
"  caufe,  had  it  been  before  difcovered  and  feen,  flill 
*'  it  would  not  have  been  received  :    For  as  yet  the 
"  final  Judgment  was  not  accomplifhed,  and  previ- 
*'  ous  to  that  Judgment,  the  Power  of  Hell  prevail- 
*'  ed  over  the  Power  of  Heaven,  and  Man  is  in  the 
''  Midfl  between  Heaven  and  Hell ;  wherefore  had 
*^  this  Do6lrine  been  underftood  before,  the  Devil, 
*'  that  is.  Hell,  would  have  taken  it  out  of  his  Heart, 
*'  and  he  would  moreover  have  profaned  it.      This 
*'  State  of  the  Power  of  Hell  was  altogether  deftroy- 
"  ed  by  the  lafl:  Judgipcnt,  which  is  now  accom- 

"plifhed; 


390    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

*'  pliflied  }  fmce  which  Time,  it  is  in  every  one's 
"^  Power,  who  defires  it,  to  be  enlightened,  an4 
"  gifted  with  genuine  Wifdom." 

264,  II.  That  a  Doubt  may  he  inferred  againjl  the 
Divine  Providence^  hecaufe  heretofore  it  was  not  known^ 
that  in  every  Particular  of  the  Word  there  is  afpirit^ 
ual  Senfe^  and  that  its  Holinefs  confijls  therein  :  For  it 
may  be  fiiggefled  as  a  Doubt  againfl  the  Divine 
Providence,  Why  is  this  revealed  now  for  the  firfl 
Time,  and  why  by  this  or  that  Perfon,  and  not  by 
any  Primate  of  the  Church  ?  But  whether  he  be  a 
Primate  or  the  Servant  of  a  Primate,  is  according  to 
the  Lord's  good  Pleafure,  for  he  knoweth  both  the 
one  and  the  other.     But  the  Reafon  why  that  Senfe 
of  the  Word  was  not  revealed  before,  is,  I.  Becaufe, 
if  it  had  been  revealed  before,  t\\Q  Church  would 
have  profaned  it,  and  thereby  have  profaned  the 
Sanctity  of  the  Word  itfeif.     II.  That  neither  were 
genuine  Truths,  in  which  the  fpiritual  Senfe  of  the 
Word  confifls,  revealed,  till  after  the  lad  Judgment 
was  performed,  and  a  New  Church,  v;hich  is  under- 
flood  by  the  Holy  Jerufalem,  was  about  to  be  eflab- 
liPned  by  the  Lord  :  But  thefe  Articles  fhall  be  ex- 
amhied  feparately  ;  First  :  That  the  fpiritual  Senfe 
^  of  the  Word  ivas  not  revealed  before^  hecaufe  if  it  had 
been  revealed  before^  the  Church  ivould  have  profaned 
it,  and  thereby  have  profaned  the  Sandity  of  the  Word 
itfeif:  The  Church,  not  long  after  its  Eflablifhment, 
was  converted  into  Babylon,  and  afterwards   into 
Phihfthea  ;  and  Babylon  doth  indeed  acknowledge 
the  Word,  but  yet  contemneth  it,  faying  that  the 
Holy  Ghoft  infpires  them  in  their  fupreme  Deci- 
fions,  equally  as  much  as  it  infpired  the  Prophets : 

The 


The  Divine  Providence.         391 

The  Reafon  why  they  acknowledge  the  Word,  is, 
for  the  Sake  of  the  Vicarfhip  founded  on  the  Lord's 
Words  to  Peter ;  but  yet  they  contemn  it,  becaufe 
It  doth  not  accord  [with  their  Views  ;]  for  that  Rea- 
ibii  aUb  it  is  taken  from  the  People,  and  hid  in  Mo- 
nalleries^  where  there  are  but  few  who  read  it ; 
wherefore  if  the  fpiiitual  Senfe  of  the  Word,  in 
which  the  Lord,  and  at  the  fame  Time  all  Angelic 
Wifdom  dwellcth,  had  been  revealed,  the  Word 
would  have  been  profaned,  not  only  as  is  now  tha 
Cafe,  in  its  tfltimates^  which  are  what  is  contained  in 
the  literal  Senfe,  but  alfo  in  its  hitimates  or  inmoft 
Meaning.  PHiliilea,  by  which  is  meant  Faith  fepa- 
tate  from  Charity,  would  alfo  have  profaned  the 
fpiritual  Senfe  of  the  Word^  becaufe  it  places  Salva- 
tion in  certain  Words  which  are  to  be  thought  and 
ifpoke,  and  not  m  any  Good  that  is  to  be  done,  as 
was  fhewn  before ;  and  fo  maketh  that  a  faving  Prin- 
ciple which  is  not  faving,  and  moreover  removeth 
the  Underftanding  from  Things  w^hich  ought  to  be 
believed :  And  what  have  fuch  Perfons  to  do  wath 
the  Light,  in  which  the  fpiritual  Senfe  of  the  Word 
is  ?  Would  it  not  be  turned  by  them  into  Dark- 
.  nefs  ?  When  the  natural  Senfe  is  turned  into  Dark- 
nefs,  what  would  the  fpiritual  Senfe  be  ?  Is  there 
Uny  one  of  thofe,  who  have  confirmed  themfelves  in 
Faith  feparated  from  Charity,  and  in  Juflification  by 
it  alone,  that  defires  to  know  what  the  Good  of 
Life  i8,  or  what  Love  to  the  Lord  is,  and  towards 
their  Neighbour,  or  what  Charity  is,  what  the 
Goods  of  Charity,  what  gooti  Works  are,  and  what 
it  is  to  do,  yea  what  Faiih  is  in  its  Elfence,  or  any 
genuine  Truth  that  eoniliiutes  it  ?  They  write  Vol- 
umes, 


392    Angelic  Wisdom  coisfcERNii^G 

limes,  and  confirm  Nothing  but  what  they  call  Faith, 
and  all  the  Things  above  recited,  they  fay  are  con- 
tained in  that  Faith.  From  which  it  is  evident^ 
that  if  the  fpiritual  Senfe  of  the  Word  had  been  re- 
vealed  before,  the  Cafe  would  have  been  according 
to  what  the  Lord  faith  in  Matthew,  "If  thine  Eytt 
be  evil,  thy  whole  Body  fliall  be  full  of  Darknefs  ^ 
if  therefore  the  Light  that  is  in  thee  be  Darknefs, 
how  great  is  that  Darknefs,"  vi.  23  :  By  Eye  in  the 
fpiritual  Senfe  of  the  Word,  is  meant  the  Under- 
Handing.  Secondly^  That  neither  were  the  genu- 
ine Truths^  of  which  the  fpiritual  Senfe  of  the  Word 
confifis^  revealed  by  the  Lord^  till  after  the  laji  Judg- 
ment was  acco?npli/}:fedj  and  the  New  Churchy  which  is 
widerfiood  by  the  Holy  Jerufalem^  was  about  to  be 
ejlablifhed  by  the  Lord :  It  is  foretold  by  the  Lord  in 
the  Apocalypfe,  that  after  the  laft  Judgment  is  ac* 
complifhed,  genuine  Truths  are  to  be  revealed,  a 
New  Church  eflablifhed,  and  the  fpiritual  Senfe  of 
the  Word  difclofed  :  That  the  final  Judgment  is  now 
accomplifhed,  is  fhewn  in  a  fmall  Work  concerning 
the  Last  Judgment^  and  likewife  in  The  Con- 
tinuation of  the  fame ;  and  that  that  is  what  is 
meant  by  the  Heaven  and  Earth  which  are  to  pafs 
away,  in  the  Apocalypfe,  Chap.  xxi.  i.  That  gen- 
uine Truths  are  then  to  be  revealed,  is  foretold  by 
thefe  Words  in  the  Apocalypfe,  "  He  that  fat  upoii 
the  Throne  faid,  behold,  I  make  all  Things  new,'* 
Verfe  5 ;  alfo  Chap.  xix.  17,  18.  Chap.  xxi.  18  toi 
ii.  Chap.  xxii.  1,  2.  That  the  fpiritual  Senfe 
of  the  Word  is  then  to  be  revealed,  is  foretold  iri 
Chap.  X!x.  II  to  1 6 ;  this  is  denoted  by  the  white 
Horfe,  upon  which  he  who  fat  was  called  the  Word 

of 


The  Divine  Providence.         393 

of  God,  and  was  the  Lord  of  Lords,  and  King  of 
Kings,  on  which  Subjed  fee  the  little  Work  con- 
cerning The  White  Horse.  That  by  the  Holy 
Jerufalem  is  meant  the  New  Church,  which  is  then 
to  be  eftabUrtied  by  the  Lord,  may  be  feen  in  The 
Doctrine  of  the  New  Jerusalem  concern- 
ing THE  Lord,  n.  62  to  6^,  where  it  is  demon- 
flrated.  Hence  then  it  is  e\;ident,  that  the  fpiritual 
Senfe  of  the  Word  was  to  be  revealed  for  a  New 
Church,  which  will  acknowledge  and  worfiiip  the 
Lord  only,  and  hold  his  Word  facred,  and  love  Di- 
vine Truths,  and  rejeft  Faith  feparated  from  Chari- 
ty. But  more  may  be  feen  relative  to  this  Senfe  of 
the  Word,  in  The  Doctrine  of  the  New  Jeru- 
salem   CONCERNING     THE    SaCRED   ScRIPTURE, 

n.  5  to  26  ;  as  what  the  fpiritual  Senfe  of  the  Word 
is,  n.  5  to  26.  That  there  is  a  fpiritual  Senfe  in  all 
and  every  Particular  of  the  Word,  n.  9  to  17. 
That  it  is  by  Virtue  of  the  fpiritual  Senfe,  that  the 
Word  is  of  Divine  Infpiration,  and  holy  in  every 
fmgle  Expreflion,  n.  18,  19.  That  the  fpirit- 
ual Senfe  of  the  Word  hath  been  heretofore 
unknown,  and  why  it  was  not  revealed  before, 
n.  20  to  25.  That  from  henceforth  the  fpir- 
itual Senfe  of  the  Word  will  be  opened  to  none 
but  thofe,  who  are  principled  in  genuine  Truths 
from  the  Lord,  n.  26.  From  thefe  Confiderations 
then  it  may  appear,  that  it  is  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence of  the  Lord,  that  the  fpiritual  Senfe  hath  been 
concealed  from  the  World  until  the  prefent  Age, 
and  in  the  mean  Time  was  preferved  in  Heaven 
among  the  Angels,  who  out  of  it  derive  their  Wif- 
dom.  Thii  Senfe  was  known,  and  alfo  cultivated, 
B  B  b  among 


394    Angeljc  Wisdom  cokcerkinc 

among  the  Ancients,  who  lived  before  Mofes  ;  but 
inafmuch  as  their  Pofterity  converted  the  Corref- 
pondences,  of  which  folely  their  Word  and  confe- 
quently  their  Religion  confifted,  into  various  Idol- 
atries, and  the  Egyptians  into  Magic,  by  the  Divine 
Providence  of  the  Lord  it  was  fhut  up,  firft  among 
the  Children  of  Ifrael,  and  afterwards  among  the 
Chriftians^for  the  Reafons  mentioned  above,  and  is 
now  firll  opened  for  the  Lord's  New  Church. 

26^.  IIL  Thaf  a  Doubt  may  be  inferred  ngainjl  the 
Divine  Providence^  becaufe  heretofore  it  was  not  knoivn, 
that  the  very  Ejfe7ice  of  the  Chri/tian  Religion  confifis 
injhunmng  Evils  as  Sins.  That  this  is  the  very  Ef- 
fence  of  the  Chriftian  Religion,  is  fh^wn  in  The 
Doctrine  of  Life  for  the  New  Jerusalem, 
from  Beginning  to  End :  And  whereas  Faith  fepa- 
rated  from  Charity  is  the  only  Obllacle  to  its  being 
received,  that  alfo  is  treated  of*  It  is  faid  that  here- 
tofore it  w^as  not  known  that  the  very  Eflence  of  the 
Chriflian  Religion  confifts  in  (hunning  Eirils  as  Sins, 
becaufe  almoft  every  Body  is  ignorant  of  this,  and 
yet  every  one  knoweth  it,  as  may  be  feen  above,  n. 
258  ;  the  Reafon  w^hy  almoft  every  Body  is  igno- 
rant of  it,  is,  becaufe  Solifidianifm  hath  erafed  it,  for 
this  teacheth,  that  Faith  alone  faveth,  and  not  any 
good  Work  or  Good  of  Charity ;  moreover  that 
diey  are  no  longer  under  the  Yoke  of  the  Law,  but 
at  Liberty  ;  they  who  frequently  hear  fuch  Doc- 
trines, no  longer  think  of  any  Evil  of  Life,  nor  of 
any  Good  of  Life ;  for  every  Man  by  Nature  is  in- 
clined to  embrace  that  Idea,  and  when  it  is  once 
embraced,  he  no  longer  thinks  of  the  State  of  his 
Life :    This  is  the  Reafon  why  the  above  is  not 

known. 


The  Divine  Providence.         395 

known.     That  it  Is  not  known,  was  difcovered  to 
jne  in  the  fpiritual  World  :   I  queftioned  above  a 
thoufand  who  were  newly  arrived  from  this  World, 
whether  they  knew  that  the  Effence  of  Religion 
confided  in  fhunning  Evils  as  Sins ;  and  they  faid 
that  they  did  not  know  it,  and  that  it  was  a  new 
Thing  which  had  never  been  heard  of  before,  but 
that  they  had  heard  that  they  could  not  do  any 
Good  from  themfelves,  and  that  they  were  not  un- 
der the  Yoke  of  the  Law  :  When  I  afked,  if  they 
did  not  know,  that  it  was  a  Man's  Duty  to  exam- 
ine himfelf,  to  fee  his  Sins,  repent  of  them,  and 
lead  a  new  Life,  and  that  otherwife  Sins  are  not  for- 
given, and  if  Sins  are  not  forgiven  there  is  no  Salva- 
tion, and  that  this  was  read  aloud  to  them  as  often 
as  they  received  the  holy  Supper ;  they  anfwered, 
that  they  did  not  attend  to  thefe  Things,  but  only  to 
this,  that  by  Means  of  the  Lord's  Supper  their  Sins 
are  forgiven,  and  that  Faith,  without  their  Knowl- 
edge, operates  the  reft.     Again  1  alked,  why  did 
you  teach  your  Children  the  Decalogue,  was  it  not 
that  they  might  know  what  Evils  are  Sins,  which 
are  to  be  fhunned  ?  Was  it  that  they  might  only 
know  and  believe,  and  not  a6l  accordingly  ?  Where- 
fore then  do  you  fay  that  this  is  a  new  Thing  ?  To 
this  they  could  make  no  other  Anfwer,  but  that  they 
knew  it,  and  yet  did  not  know  it,  and  that  they  nev- 
er thought  of  the    feventh  Commandment  when 
they  committed  Adultery,  nor  of  the  eighth  when 
they  committed  Theft  or  aded  fraudently,  and  fo 
on  ;  much  lefs  that  fuch  Things  are  contrary  to  the 
Divine  Law,  confcquently  Offences  againft  God. 
When  I  mentioned  feveral  Things  from  the  Doc- 
trines 


39^    Angelic  Wisdom  concerking 

trines  of  the  Churches,  and  from  the  Word,  in  Con. 
firmation  of  my  AfTertion,  that  to  fhun  Evils  as  Sins, 
and  hold  them  in  Averficn,  is  the  very  Elfence  of 
the  Chriflian  Religion,  and  that  every  one  is  gifted 
with  Faith  in  Proportion  as  he  (hunneth  and  holdeth 
them  in  Averfion,  they  were  filent ;  but  they  were 
confirmed  in  the  Truth  of  it,  when  they  faw  that  all 
were  examined  with  Refpe6:  to  their  Lives,  and 
judged  according  to  their  Adions,  and  no  one  ac- 
cording to  bis  Faith  unconnededly  with  his  Life, 
becaufe  the  Faith  of  every  one  is  conformable  to 
his  Life.     The  Reafon  why  the  ChriRian  World 
for  the  mod  Part  did  not  knov^r  this,  exifls  in  that 
Law  of  the  Divine  Providence,  whereby  every  one 
is  left  to  a£l  from  Liberty  according  to  Reafon, 
which  fee  above,  n,  71  to  99,  and  n.  100  to  128  : 
Alfo  in  the  Law  whereby  it  is  appointed,  th<it  no 
one  is  taught  immediately  from  Heaven,  but  medi- 
ately through  the  Word,  Dodrine,  and  Preachings 
put  of  it,  concerning  which,  fee  above,  n.  154  to 
174  :    And  likewife  in  all  the  Laws  of  Permiflion, 
which    alfo  are  Laws  of    the  Divine  Providence. 
More  may  be  feen  above  refpeding  thefe,  n.  258. 
274.  IV.  That  a  Doubt  may  be  inferred  againjl  the 
P'roine  Providence^  becaufe  it  ijuas  not  known  hereto- 
fore^ that  Man  liveih  after  Death  ;  and  this  was  7ioi 
df covered  till  now.     The  Reafcn  why  this  was  not 
known,  is,  becaufe  in  thofe  who  do  not  ihun  Evils 
as  Sins,  there  lieth  inwardly  concealed  a  Belief, 
that  Man  doth   not  live  after  Death,   and  there- 
fore they  think  it  of  no  Importance,  whether  it  be 
faid  that  Man  liveth  after  Death,  or  that  he  will 
rife  again  at  the  Day  of  Judgment  j  and  if  he  hap- 
pens 


The  Divine  Providence. 


397 


pens  to  have  any  Belief  in  a  Refurreclion,  he  faith 
to  himfelf,  I  fhall  not  fare  worfe  than  others,  for 
if  I  go  to  Hell,  I  (hall  have  many  to  accompany 
me,  and  if  to  Heaven,  it  v/ill  be  the  fame.     But 
yet  all  who  have  any  Religion,  have  in  them  an 
inherent  Knowledge,  that  Men  live  after  Death  j; 
the  Idea  that  they  Hve  as  Souls,  and  not  as  Men, 
takes  Place  only  with  thofe  who  are  infatuated  by 
their  own  Self-derived  Intelligence,  and  with  no 
others.     That  every  one  who  hath  any  Religion  in 
him,  hath  an  inherent  Knowledge  that  Man  hveth 
after  Death,  may  appear  from  the  following  Con- 
fiderations.      i.  Who  thinks  otherwife  when  he  is 
dying  ?    2.  What  Panegyrifl,  in  his  Lamentation 
over  the  D^ad,  doth  not  fend  them  to  Heaven, 
place  them  among  the  Angels,    converfmg  with 
them,  and  partaking  their  Joys  ?    Not  to  mention 
the  Apotheofis  of  fome.     3.  Who  among  the  Vul- 
gar doth  not  believe,  that  when  he  dies,  if  he  had 
lived  well,  he  Ihould  go  to  a  heavenly  Paradife,  be 
cloathed  in  a  white  Garment,  and  enjoy  Life  ever- 
lading  ?    4.  Where  is  the  Preacher  who  doth  not 
fay  thefe  Things,  or  the  like,  to  thofe  who  are  on 
their  Death-Bed  ?  And  when  he  fays  them,  he  be- 
lieves them  himfelf,  provided  he  doth  not  think  of 
the  lalt  Judgment.     5.  Who  is  there  that  doth  not 
Relieve  that  his  Children  are  in  Heaven,  and  that 
he  fhall  fee  his  Wife,  whom  he  had  loved,   after 
Death  ?    Who   ever  fuppofes   they   are   Spe<5lrcs, 
much  lefs  that  they  are  Souls  or  Minds  hovering 
about  in  the  Univerfe  ?    6.  Who  contradicts,  when 
any  Thing  is  faid  of  the  Lot  and  State  of  thofe 
who  have  paiTed  from  Tims  to  Eternity  ?    1  have 

told 


398     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

told  many  of  the  State  and  Lot  of  fuch  and  fuch 
Perfons,  and  I  never  yet  heard  any  one  fay,  that 
their  Lot  "was  not  yet  decided,  but  that  it  would- 
be  fo  at  the  lafl  Judgment.  7.  Who,  when  he 
feerh  Angels  painted  or  carved,  doth  not  acknowU 
edge  that  they  are  fuch  ?  Who  ever  imagines  at 
fuch  Times  that  ihey  are  Spirits  without  a  Body, 
Airs,  or  Clouds,  as  fome  of  the  Learned  do  ? 
8.  The  Papills  believe  their  Saints  to  be  Men  in 
Heaven,  and  others  elfewhere  ;  the  Mahometans 
think  the  fame  of  their  Dead  ;  fo  do  the  Africans 
more  efpecially,  and  in  like  Manner  many  other 
Nations  ;  what  then  ought  not  reformed  Chriflians 
to  do,  who  know  it  from  the  Word  ?  9.  To  this 
Knowledge  inherent  in  every  one,  it  is  alfo  owing, 
that  fome  afpire  after  immortal  Fame,  for  this 
Knowledge  is  converted  into  the  Love  of  fuch 
Fame  with  fome,  and  makes  them  Heroes  and  val- 
iant in  War.  10.  Inquiry  was  made  in  the  fpirit- 
iial  World,  whether  this  Knowledge  is  inherent  in 
all,  and  it  was  found,  that  it  is  fo  in  the  fpiritual 
Idea  of  all,  which  is  of  the  internal  Thought,  but 
not  fo  in  their  natural  Idea,  which  is  of  the  external 
Thought.  From  thefe  Confiderations  it  may  ap- 
pear, that  no  one  ought  to  infer  any  Doubt  againfl 
the  Divine  Providence,  becaufe  he  thinks  it  is  now 
firfl  difcovered  that  Man  Hveth  after  Death.  It  is 
only  the  fenfual  [Mind]  of  Man,  which  defireth 
to  fee  and  touch  what  it  is  to  believe  ;  he  whofe 
Thoughts  are  not  elevated  above  this,  is  involved 
in  Darknefs  with  Refped  to  the  State  of  his  Life. 

Thai 


The  Divine  Providence.         395 

That  Evils  are  permitted  for  a  certain 
Endy  which  End  is  Salvation. 

275.  XF  Man  \vere  born  in  the  LovCj  to  which  he 
J[  is  created,  he  would  not  be  in  any  Evil, 
yea,  neither  would  he  know  what  Evil  is,  for  he 
w4io  hath  not  been,  and  thereby  is  not  in  Evil,  can* 
not  know  what  Evil  is  ;  if  it  fhould  be  faid  to  him 
that  this  or  that  is  Evil,  he  would  not  believe  it  pof- 
fible  ;  this  State  is  the  State  of  Innocence,  in  which 
Adam  and  his  Wife  Eve  were  ;  their  Nakednefs, 
of  which  they  were  not  afhamedj  fignified  fuch  a 
State^  The  Knowledge  of  Evil  after  the  Fall  i^ 
meant  by  eating  of  the  Tree  of  Knowledge  of  Good 
and  Evil.  The  Love  for  which  Man  is  created,  is 
the  Love  of  his  Neighbour,  that  he  may  wifh  him  as 
well  as  he  wiftieth  himfelf,  and  more  fo,  and  that  he. 
may  be  in  the  Delight  of  that  Love,  when  he  doeth 
Good  to  him,  jufl  as  a  Parent  is  in  doing  Good  to 
his  Children.  This  Love  is  truly  human,  for  in  it 
there  is  Something  fpiritual,  whereby  it  is  diftin- 
guiihed  from  natural  Love,  which  takes  Place  in 
Brute  Animals :  If  Man  were  born  into  this  Love, 
he  would  not  be  born  in  the  Darknefs  of  Ignorance, 
as  IS  now  the  Cafe  with  every  Man,  but  to  a  certain 
Light  of  Knowledge  [^Scie/itia]  and  thence  of  Intel- 
ligence, into  which  he  would  alfo  enter  in  a  (hort 
Time  ;  and  indeed  he  would  at  firll  creep  Hke  a 
Quadruped,  but  with  an  innate  Endeavour  to  raifc3 
himfelf  upon  his  Feet  ;  for  although  he  would 
creep,  yet  he  would  not  look  down  to  the  Ground, 

but 


406    Angelic  \Vi5ddm  cokcernino 

but  upwards  to  Heaven,  and  would  lift  himfelf,  a^ 
it  would  be  in  his  Power  to  do,  upright. 

276.  But  when  the  Love  of  Man*s  Neighbour 
'vt'as  converted  into  the  Love  of  Self,  then  human 
Love  was  converted  into  animal  Love,  and  Man 
from  being  Man,  became  a  Bead,  with  this  Differ- 
enccj  that  he  could  think  that  which  he  felt  in  the 
Body^  and  rationally  diftinguifli  the  one  from  the 
other,  and  could  be  inftrucied,  and  made  a  civil  and 
inoral  Man,  and  at  length  fpiritual ;  for,  as  was  ob- 
ferved,  Man  hath  a  fpiritual  Principle,  whereby  he 
is  diflinguifhed  from  Brute  Animals  ;  for  by  it  he 
can  know  what  civil  Evil  and  Good  i-s,  likewife 
what  moral  Evil  and  Good  is,  and  alfo,  if  he  will, 
what  fpiritual  Evil  and  Good  is.  A¥hen  neighbour- 
ly Love  was  converted  into  Self-Love,  Man  could 
no  longer  be  born  into  the  Light  of  Science  and 
intelligence,  but  into  the  Darknefs  of  Ignorance, 
becaufe  he  was  born  totally  in  the  Ultimate  of  Life^ 
\yhich  is  called  the  corporeal  fcnfual  Principle  /  but 
from  it  could  be  introduced  by  Inftruction  into  the 
Interiors  of  the  natural  Mind,  Something  fpiritual 
always  attending.  The  Reafon  why  he  is  born  in 
the  Ultimate  of  Life,  which  is  called  the  corporeal 
fenfual  Principle,  and  confequently  in  the  Darknefs 
of  Ignorance,  will  be  feen  in  what  follows.  That 
the  Love  of  our  Neighbour  and  the  Love  of  Self* 
are  oppofite  Loves,  any  one  may  fee  ;  for  neigh- 
bourly Love  wifheth  well  to  all  from  itfelf ;  but 
Self-Love  wiiheth  well  to  itfelf  alone  from  all  i 
neighbourly  Love  defireth  to  ferve  all,  but  Self* 
Love  defireth  to  be  ferved  by  all  ;  neighbourly 
Love  confiders'till  as  l\is  Brothers  and  Friends,  but 

Self-Love 


The  Divine  Providence,        401 

Self-Love  confiders  all  as  his  Servants,  and  if  they 
do  not  i-^rve  hiin,  as  his  Enemies ;  in  a  Word,  he 
confiders  himfelf  alone,  and  others  fcarcely  as  Men, 
whom  in  his  Heart  he  values  lefs  th:m  his  Horfes 
and  Dogs ;  and  inafmuch  as  he  thinks  them  fo  vile, 
he  makes  no  Account  of  injuring  them,  whence  pro- 
ceed Hatred  and  Revenge,  Adultery  and  Fornica- 
tion, Thefts  and  Frauds,  Lies  and  Blafphemies, 
Rage,  Cruelty,  and  the  like.  Thefe  are  the  Evils 
in  which  Man  is  by  Birth.  That  thele  are  permit- 
ted for  a  certain  End,  which  End  is  Salvation,  fliall 
be  demonftrated  in  the  following  Order.  L  That 
every  Man  is  in  Evil,  and  that  he  is  to  be  withdrawn 
from  Evil  that  he  may  be  reformed.  IL  That  Evils 
cannot  be  removed  except  they  appear.  IIL  Hiat 
in  Proportion  as  Evils  are  removed,  in  the  fame  Pro- 
portion they  are  remitted.  IV,  That  thus  the  Per- 
miffion  of  Evil  is  to  the  End  that  there  may  be  Sal- 
vation. 

277.  L  That  every  Man  is  in  Evil,  and  that  he  is 
io  be  withdrawn  from  Evil  that  he  may  be  reformed. 
That  e^'ery  Man  hath  hereditary  Evil,  and  that  horn 
it  Man  is  in  the  Concupifcence  of  many  Evils,  is 
well  know^n  in  the  Church  ;  and  thence  it  is  that 
Man  from  himfelf  cannot  do  Good,  for  Evil  doth 
not  do  Good,  except  it  be  fuch  Good  as  hath  Evil 
lurking  within  it ;  the  Evil  which  lurks  within  \x^ 
confids  in  his  doing  Good  for  the  Sake  of  Self,  and 
thus  doing  what  is  good  only  in  Appearance.  That 
this  Evil  is  hereditary  from  Parents,  is  well  known  ; 
it  is  faid  to  be  from  y^dain  and  Eve,  but  this  is  a 
Miftake  ;  for  every  one  is  born  into  ir  froiu  his  Pa- 
rent, and  that  Parent  is  boru  into  it  from  his,  and 
C  c  c  lo 


402      Angelic  Wisdom  concerjting 

fo  every  one  from  his  own  Parent  refpedively,  and 
thus  it  is  fuccefTively  transferred  from  one  to  anoth^ 
er,  whereby  it  increafes  and  augments  itfelf  abun- 
dantly, and  is  tranfmitted  to  Pofterity  ;  thence  it  is 
that  in  Man  there  is  no  Health,  or  Nothing  found, 
but  that  he  is  one  entire  Mafs  of  Evil :  Who  is  there 
that  feels,  that  to  love  himfelf  more  than  others  is^ 
Evil,  and  therefore  who  knows  that  there  is  any 
Evil  in  it,  when  neverthelefs  it  is  the  Head  of  all 
Evils  ?  That  it  is  inherited  from  Fathers,  Grandfa- 
thers, and  Great  Grandfathers,  is  evident  from^ 
many  Circumflances  which  are  known  in  the  Worlds 
as  from  the  Similarity  of  Faces  in  Houfes,  Families, 
yea  in  whole  Nations,  whereby  they  are  diftinguifh^ 
able,  and  Faces  are  the  Types  of  Minds,  and  the 
State  of  Minds  is  conformable  to  their  AfFe£lions 
•which  are  of  Love  ;  fometimes  alfo  the  Face  of  the 
Grandfather  returns  in  the  Grandchild  or  Great- 
Grandchild :  I  can  tell  from  only  feeing  the  Face 
of  any  Perfon,  whether  lie  is  a  Jew  or  not ;  and 
alfo  of  fome  others  from  what  Stock  they  are  derive 
ed  ;  and  I  doubt  not  but  there  are  others  who  can 
do  the  fame.  If  the  Affedions,  which  are  of  Love, 
are  thus  derived  and  tranfmitted  from  Parents,  it 
follows,  that  it  is  the  fame  with  Evils,  becaufe  thefe 
appertain  to  the  AfFedions.  But  the  Caufe  of  this 
Refemblance  fhall  now  be  explained  ;  the  Soul  of 
every  one  is  from  his  Father,  and  is  only  clothed 
with  a  Body  from  his  Mother  ;  that  the  Soul  is  de- 
rived from  the  Father,  follows  as  a  Confequence  not 
only  from  what  hath  been  faid  above,  but  is  alf^ 
evident  from  other  Circumflances,  as  that  the  Child 
of  a  Negro  or  Moor,  by  a  white  Woman  or  Euro- 
pean,. 


The  Divine  Providence.        403 

pean,  is  born  black,  and  vice  vcrfa  ;  and  efpecially 
by  Reafon  that  the  Soul  is  in  the  Seed,  for  from 
it  Impregnation  is  eUectcd,  and  it  is  that  which 
is  cloathed  with  a  Body  from  the  Mother ;  for 
the  Seed  is  the  primitive  Form  of  the  liOve  in 
which  the  Father  is,  it  is  the  Form  of  his  ruhng 
Love,  with  its  proximate  Derivations,  which  are  the 
inmoft  Affections  of  that  Love.  Thefe  in  every  one 
are  cloathed  in  the  Decencies  \lloneJils^  of  moral 
Life,  and  the  Goods  which  are  partly  of  civil  and 
partly  of  fpiritual  Life  ;  thefe  conftitute  the  Exter- 
nal of  Life  even  with  the  Wicked  :  Every  Infant  is 
born  into  this  External  of  Life  ;  hence  it  is  that  it  is 
amiable,  but  as  he  grows  up  and  advances  to  mature 
Age,  he  palTeth  from  that  External  to  Interiors,  and 
at  length  to  the  ruling  Love  of  his  Father,  which 
if  it  was  evil,  and  be  not  tempered  and  bent  by 
Means  of  Education,  his  Love  becometh  like  his 
Father's.  Still  however  Evil  is  not  extirpated,  but 
only  removed,  as  will  be  fhewn  in  what  follows. 
Hence  it  is  evident,  that  every  Man  is  in  Evil. 

277.  That  Man  is  to  be  withdrawn  from  Evil, 
in  Order  that  he  may  be  reformed,  is  evident  with.- 
out  Explanation-  for  he  who  is  in  Evil  in  the 
World,  the  fame  is  in  Evil  after  he  goes  out  of  the 
W^orld ;  wherefore  if  Evil  be  not  removed  in  the 
World,  it  cannot  be  removed  afterwards  ;  where  the 
Tree  falls,  there  it  lieth  ;  fo  alfo  it  is  with  the  Life 
of  Man  ;  as  it  was  at  his  Death,  fuch  it  remaineth  ; 
every  one  alfo  is  judged  according  to  his  Actions, 
not  that  they  are  enumerated,  but  becaufe  he  re- 
turns to  them,  and  does  the  like  again ;  for  Death 
is  a  Continuation  of  Life,  with  this  Difference,  that 

then 


404     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

then  Man  cannot  be  reformed.  All  Reformation 
is  effe(fted  in  a  plenary  Manner,  that  is,  in  Primaries 
and  at  the  fame  Time  in  Ultimates,  and  Ultimate^ 
are  reformed  in  this  World  conformably  to  Prima^ 
ries,  and  cannot  be  fo  afterwards,  becaufe  the  Ul- 
timates  of  Life,  which  Man  carrieth  with  him  after 
Death,  are  quiefcent,  and  confpire,  that  is,  ad  as 
one,  with  his  Interiors. 

278.  II.  That  Evils  cannot  he  removed  except  fhey 
appear.  It  is  not  meant  that  Man  is  to  do  Evils 
that  they  may  appear,  but  that  he  is  to  examine  him^ 
felf,  not  only  his  Actions  but  alfo  his  Thoughts, 
and  w^iat  he  would  do,  if  he  were  not  afraid  of  the 
Laws  and  Infamy ;  efpecially  what  Evils  he  con- 
fiders  in  his  Spirit  as  allowable,  and  does  not  look 
upon  as  Sins,  for  thefe  he  ftill  committeth.  To  the 
End  that  Man  may  explore  himJelf,  Underftanding 
is  given  him,  and  this  feparate  from  the  Will,  in 
Order  that  he  may  kno\y,  underiland,  and  ac- 
knowledge what  is  Good  and  is  Evil,  and  may  alfo 
fee  the  Nature  of  his  Will,  or  what  he  loveth  and 
what  he  coveteth  ;  that  Man  may  fee  this,  his  Un* 
der (tan ding  is  gifted  with  fuperior  and  inferior 
Thought,  or  interior  and  exterior,  that  from  his 
fuperior  or  interior  Thought  he  may  fee  what  his 
Will  is  doing  in  his  inferior  and  exterior  Thought^ 
this  he  feeth  as  a  Man  feeth  his  Face  in  a  Glafs, 
and  when  he  feeih  this,  and  knoweth  what  Sin  is, 
he  may,  if  he  implores  the  Help  of  the  Lord,  not 
will  it,  but  Hum  it,  and  afterwards  ad  againft  it, 
if  not  freelv,  ftill  he  may  force  him  felf  to  it  by  Com- 
bat, and  at  length  hold  it  in  Averfion  and  abomi- 
jiate  it ;  and  then  he  firft  perceiveth  and  alfo  feel- 

eth. 


The  Divine  ProvidenceI        405 

ctli,  that  Evil  is  Evil,  and  Good  is  Good,  and  not 
before.  This  then  is  examining  or  exploring  him- 
felf,  feeing  his  Sins,  and  acknowledging  them,  con- 
fefiing  them,  and  afterwards  defifling  from  them. 
But  forafmuch  as  there  are  few  who  know,  that 
the  very  Eflence  of  the  Chriflian  Religion  confifts 
in  this,  becaufc  they  only  who  do  fo  have  Charity 
and  Faith,  and  are  led  of  the  Lord,  and  do  Good 
from  Him,  Something  ftiail  be  faid  of  thofe  who  do 
jiot  do  fo,  and  yet  think  they  have  Religion  in 
them  ;  thefe  are  fuch  as  follow,  i.  Who  confefs 
themfelves  guilty  of  all  Sins,  and  do  not  fearch 
out  any  one  Sin  in  themfelves.  2.  Who  from  a 
Principle  of  Religion  omit  fuch  Inquiry  or  Search* 

3.  Who  by  Reafon  of  worldly  Things  do  not 
think  of  Sins,  and  confequently  do  not  know  them* 

4.  Who  favour  them,  and  therefore  cannot  know 
them.  5.  That  in  all  fuch  as  tbefe  Sins  do  not  ap-- 
pear,  and  that  therefore  they  cannot  be  removed. 
6.  Laftly,  ihall  be  laid  open  the  Caufe,  hitherto 
unknown,  why  Evils  cannot  be  removed,  without 
the  Search,  Appearance,  Acknowledgment,  Con- 
feflion  thereof,  and  Refiftance  thereto. 

278.  But  thefe  Points  fnall  be  viewed  feparately, 
becaufe  they  are  Primaries  or  Fundamentals  of  the 
Chriflian  Religion  on  the  Part  of  Man.  First  : 
Of  thofe  who  confefs  t he jnf elves  guilty  of  all  Sins,  aiid 
do  not  fearch  out  any  Sin  in  themfelves,  faying,  I  am 
a  Sinner,  I  was  born  in  Sin,  there  is  no  Health  in 
jne  from  Head  to  Foot,  I  am  Nothing  but  Evil, 
good  God,  have  Mercy  upon  me,  forgive  me,  pu- 
rify me,  fave  me,  caufe  me  to  walk  in  Purity  of 
Life,  and  in  the  Way  of  Uprightnefs,  and  the  like  \ 

and 


4o5    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

and  yet  he  doth  not  examine  himfelf,  and  confer 
quently  doth  not  knpw  any  Evil,  and  no  one  can 
ihun  that  which  he  doth  not  know,  much  lefs  fight 
againfl  it ;  and  after  his  ConfefTion  he  alfo  thinketh 
himfelf  clean  and  waflied,  when  neverthelefs  he 
is  unclean  and  unwafhed  from  Head  to  Foot ;  for 
the  ConfelTion  of  all  is  the  quieting  or  laying  afleep 
of  all,  and  at  length  the  blinding  of  all ;  it  is  like 
Something  general  without  any  Particular,  which 
is  not  any  Thing.  Secondly  :  Of  thofe  who  frsm 
the  Frinciples  of  their  Religion  omit  fuch  Inquiry  ; 
they  are  fuch  efpecially  as  feparate  Charity  from 
Faith  ;  for  they  fay  to  themfelves,  why  fnould  I 
inquire  whether  it  be  Evil  or  Good  ?  Why  wheth- 
er it  be  Evil,  fmce  Evil  doth  not  condemn  me  ? 
And  why  whether  ic  be  Good,  fmce  Good  doth 
not  fave  me  ?  It  is  Faith  alone,  thought  and  pro- 
nounced with  Confidence  and  AlTurance,  which 
jaflifieth  and  puriheth  from  all  Sin,  and  when  I  am 
once  juftified,  I  am  pure  in  the  Sight  of  God  ;  I  am 
indeed  in  Evil,  but  this,  as  foon  as  it  is  produced, 
God  wipeth  away,  and  fo  it  doth  not  appear  any 
more  ;  not  to  mention  other  Notions  of  the  fame 
Kind.  But  who  doth  not  fee,  if  he  opens  his  Eyes, 
that  fuch  are  empty  Words,  "which  have  no  Sub- 
fiance  in  them,  becaufe  they  have  no  Good  in 
them  ?  Who  may  not  think  and  fpeak  thus,  even 
with  Confidence  and  Affurance,  when  at  the  fame 
Time  he  thinketh  of  Hell  and  eternal  Damnation  ? 
Doth  fuch  a  one  d^^ixxt  to  know  any  Thing  elfe, 
whether  it  be  true  or  whether  it  be  good  ?  Of  Truth 
he  faith,  what  is  Truth  but  that  which  confirmeth 
fuch  a  Faith  ?    Of  Good  he  faith,  what  is  Good 

but 


The  Divine  pROViDENGEe        407 

fcut  that  which  is  in  me  from  this  Faith  ?  But  in 
Order  that  it  may  be  in  me,  I  will  not  do  it  as  from 
myfelf,  becaufe  that  is  meritorious,  and  meritorious 
Good  is  not  real  Good  ;  thus  he  omitteth  all  Things 
until  he  doth  not  know  what  Evil  is ;  what  can  he 
then  fearch  out  or  fee  in  himfelf  ?  Is  not  his  State  in 
this  Cafe  fuch,  that  the  Fire  of  the  Concupifcences 
of  Evil  being  inclofed  confumeth  his  Interiors,  and 
devaftates  them  even  to  the  Gate,  which  he  keepeth 
fliut  left  the  Fire  fhould  appear  ?  Neverthelefs  it  is 
opened  after  Death,  and  then  appeareth  in  the  Sight 
of  every  one.  Thirdly  :■  Of  thofe  ivbo  by  Rcafon 
of  worldly  Things  do  not  think  of  Sins,  and  confequent- 
ly  do  not  know  them  ;  thefe  are  fuch  as  love  the 
World  above  all  Things,  and  do  not  admit  any 
Truth  which  may  withdraw  them  from  the  Falfes  of 
their  Religion,  faying  to  themfelves,  what  have  I  to 
do  with  this  ?  I  do  not  love  to  think  of  it ;  thus  they 
rejetl  Truth  as  foon  as  they  hear  it,  and  if  they  hear 
it  they  fuffocate  it^  The  Cafe  is  nearly  the  fame 
with  them  when  they  hear  Preachings,  of  which 
they  retain  only  fome  of  the  Words,  and  not  any 
of  the  Subftance.-  Forafmuch  as  Truths  are  treat- 
ed in  this  Manner  by  them,  therefore  they  do  not 
know  what  Good  is,  for  Truth  and  Good  ad  a? 
one,  and  by  Good  which  is  not  grounded  in  Truth,- 
no  Difcovery  is  made  of  Evil,  except  that  it  alfa 
may  be  called  Good,  which  is  effefted  by  reafoning, 
from  Falfes.  Thefe  are  they  who  are  meant  by 
the  Seed  which  fell  among  Thorns,  of  whom  the 
Lord  faith,  "  Other  Seed  fell  among  Thorns  ;  audi 
the  Thorns  fprung  up  and  choked  them."  Thefe 
are  they  too  who  "  hear  the  Word,  and  the  Care  of 

this 


4o8    Angelic  Wisdom  concerking 

this  World  and  the  Deceitfulnefs  of  Riches  choke 
the  Word,  and  it  becometh  unfuitful,"  Matt,  xiii, 
7,  22.  Markiv.  7,  14.  Luke  viii.  7,  14.  Fourth- 
ly :  Of  thofe  who  favour  Sms^  and  therefore  cannot 
know  them  :  Thefe  are  they  who  acknowledge  God, 
and  worjfhip  him  according  to  the'  uliial  Formsy 
but  confirm  themfehes  in  the  Idea,  that  any  Evil, 
which  is  a  Sin,  is  not  a  Sin,  for  they  difguife  it  by 
Fallacies  and  Appearances,  and  fo  hide  its  Enor* 
mity  ;  which  when  they  have  done,  they  favour  it, 
and  make  it  friendly  and  familiar  to  them.  It  'n 
faid  that  they  do  this,  who  acknowledge  a  Godj 
fcecaufe  others  do  not  confider  any  Evil  as  a  Sin, 
for  every  Sin  is  an  Offence  againft  God.  But  this 
fiiall  be  illuftrated  by  Examples :  He  doth  not  con- 
fider Evil  as  Sin,  who  is  covetous  of  Money,  and 
maketh  any  Species  of  Fraud  allowable,  by  Rea* 
Ions  which  he  fabricates :  It  is  the  fame  with  him 
who  confirmeth  himfelf  m  the  Lawfulnefs  of  Re-^ 
venge  againft  Enemies,  and  of  committing  Depre- 
dations upon  thofe  who  are  not  Enemies  in  Wan 
Fifthly  :  nat  Sins  with  fuch  do  not  appear^  and 
therefore  cannot  he  removed ;  all  Evil  which  doth 
»ot  appear,  kindleth  itfelf,  being  like  Fire  among 
Wood  under  the  Afhes  ;  cind  it  is  like  corrupted 
Matter  in  a  Wound  which  is  not  laid  open ;  for 
all  Evil  which  is  obftruded  increafeth,  and  doth 
not  ceafe  until  the  whole  is  confummated  ;  where« 
fore  left  any  Evil  Ihould  be  obftruded,  it  is  per- 
mitted that  every  one  fliould  think  either  in  Favour 
of  God  or  againft  God,  and  in  Favour  of  the  holy 
Things  of  the  Church,  or  againft  them,  and  fhould 
not  be  puuifhed  for  the  fame  in  this  World.  Con- 
cerning 


The  Divine  Providence. 


409 


cerning  this  Evil  the  Lord  faith  in  Ifaiah,  "From 
the  Sole  of  the  Foot  even  unto  the  Head,  there  is 
no  Soundnefs  in  it  ;  but  Wounds  and  Bruifes 
and  putrifying  Sores  :  They  have  not  beeqp 
chafed,  neither  bound  up,  nor  molUried  with  Oil. 
Walh  ye,  make  you  clean,  put  away  the  Evil  of 
your  Doings  from  before  mine  Eyes ;  ceafe  to  do 
Evil ;  learn  to  do  Good ;  then  although  your  Sins 
be  as  Scarlet,  they  (hall  be  as  vi'hite  as  Snow,  though 
they  be  red  like  Crinifon,  they  fliall  be  as  Wool. 
But  if  ye  refufe  and  rebel,  ye  Ihall  be  devoured 
with  the  Sword,"  i.  6,  16,  18,  20  ;  to  be  devoured 
with  the  Sword  fignifies  to  perifli  by  the  Falfe  of 
Evil.  Sixthly  :  The  Reafon^  hitherto  concealed^ 
why  Evils  cannot  be  removed  without  being  explored, 
appearing^  being  acknowledged^  confejfed^  and  refjied. 
In  the  preceding  Pages  it  is  mentioned,  that  the 
univerfal  Heaven  is  arranged  into  Societies  accord- 
ing to  the  Affections  of  Good  oppofite  to  the  Con- 
cupifcences  of  Evil :  Every  Man,  with  Refpeft  to 
his  Spirit,  is  in  fome  Society,  in  a  celellial  Society 
if  he  is  in  the  Affedion  of  Good,  and  in  an  infernal 
Society  if  he  is  in  the  Concupifcence  of  Evil ;  Man 
doth  not  know  this  while  he  lives  in  this  World, 
but  yet  with  Refped  to  his  Spirit  he  is  in  fome  So- 
ciety, without  which  he  could  not  live,  and  by 
which  he  is  governed  of  the  Lord  :  If  he  is  in  an 
infernal  Society,  he  cannot  be  brought  out  of  it  by 
the  Lord,  but  according  to  the  Laws  of  his  Divine 
Providence,  among  which  this  alfo  is  one,  that  Man 
mud  fee  that  he  is  there,  and  defire  to  depart,  and 
muil  himfelf  endeavour  to  do  it  from  himfelf ;  this 
Man  can  do  when  he  is  in  the  World,  but  not  after 
D  D  d  Death, 


4IO    Angelic  Wisdom  coNCERmNG 

Death,  for  then  he  abideth  to  all  Eternity  in  the  So^ 
ciety,  into  which  he  introduced  himfelf,  when  ha 
Was  in  the  World  :  This  is  the  Reafon,  why  Man 
ought  to  examine  himfelf,  to  fee  and  acknowledge 
his  Sins,  and  to  repent  of  them,  and  then  to  perfe- 
vere  to  his  Life's  End.  That  this  is  the  Cafe,  I 
could  fully  and  fatisfaclorily  confirm  by  abundar\t 
Experience  ;  but  to  produce  Proofs  from  Experi- 
ence doth  not  belong  to  this  Place, 

279.  III.  That  in  Proportion  as  Evils  are  re- 
moved^ in  the  fame  Proportion  they  are  remitted.  The 
Error  of  this  Age  is,  that  Evils  are  thought  to  be 
feparated  from  Man,  yea  to  be  call  out,  when  they 
are  remitted  ;  and  that  the-  Sl^ate  of  a  Man's  Life 
can  be  changed  in  a  Moment^-  eren  to  its  Oppofite, 
and  that  thus-  a  Man  from  being  wicked  can  be 
made  good,  confequently  brought  out  of  Hell^ 
and  inftantly  tranflated  to  Heaven,  and  this  by  the 
immediate  Mercy  of  th€  Lord  :  But  they  who  are 
in  this  Belief  and  Opinion,  do  not  in  the  leall  know 
what  Evil  and  Good  are,  neither  do  they  know  any 
Thing  of  the  State  of  Man's  Life  ;  and  they  arc 
altogether  ignorant,  that  the  AlFeiftions,  which  are 
of  the  Will,  are  mere  Changes  and  Variations  of 
the  State  of  the  purely  organic  Subflancss  of  the 
Mind,  and  that  the  Thoughts,  which  ars  of  the 
Underftanding,  are  mere  Changes  and  Variations 
of  their  Form  ;  and  that  the  Memory  is  t4ie  perma- 
nent  State  of  thefe  Changes.  From  a  Knowledge 
of  this,  it  may  clearly  be  feen,  that  no  Evil  can  be 
removed  except  fucceflively  ;  and  that  the  Remif* 
fion  of  Evil  is  not  the  Removal  thereof.  But  thefe 
Things  are  here  only' ajOTer ted  in  a  fummary  Way  ^ 

ualefs 


The  Divine  Providence.        4U 

i^nlefs  however  they  are  demonftrated,  they  may 
indeed  be  acknowledged,  but  not  comprehended  ; 
,^nd  that  which  is  not  comprehended,    is  Hke  a 
Wheel  which  is  turned  about  by  the  Hand  ;  where- 
fore the  above-mentioned  Propofitaons  Ihall  be  deni- 
pnftrated  feparately  in  the  fame  Order  in  which 
they  are  adduced.     First  :   That  it  is  an  Error  of 
the  prefcnt  Age^  that  Evils  are  thought  to  be  feparaied^ 
yea  caji  out^  when  they  are  remitted.     That  no  Evil, 
into  whicl>  a  Man  is  born,  and  which  he  actually 
imbibes,  is  feparated  from  him,  but  that  it  is  only 
removed,  in  fach  a  Manner  that  it  doth  not  appear, 
hath  been  given  me  to  know  from  Heaven  ;  before 
that,  I  was  in  the  Belief  which  moil  People  entertain 
in  this  World,  that  Evils,  when  they  are  remitted, 
.are  caft  out,  and  that  they  are  waflied  off  and  wiped 
away,  Hke  Dirt  from  the  Face  by  Water  :  But  thi$ 
is  not  the  Cafe  with  Evils  or  Sins  5  they  all  remain, 
and  when  they  are  remitted  after  Repentance,  they 
are  removed  from  the  Middle  to  the  Sides,  and 
then  that  which  is  in  the  Middle,  inafmuch  as  it  is 
diredly  under  the  Infpeftion^  appears  as  in   th^ 
Light  of  Day,  and  that  ivhich  i§  at  the  Sides,  ia 
the  Shade,  and  Sometimes  as  it  were  in  the  Dark- 
jicfs  of  Night :  And  whereas  Evils  are  not  feparated, 
but  only  removed,  that  is.,  put  away  ta  the  Sides, 
^nd  Man  may  be  transferred  from  the  Middle  tQ 
jthe  Circumference,  it  may  alfp  come  to  pafs,  that 
he  may  return  to  hjs  Evils,  which  he  thought  re- 
jected :  For  Man  is  of  fuch  a  Nature,  that  he  can 
pafs  from  one  Afte'5lIon  to  another,  and  fometimes 
to  an  oppofite  one,  and  fo  from  one  Middle,  or 
f;entre5  [ab  uno  Medio']  to  another,  the  Affection 

of 


#* 


412    Angelic  Wisdom  concerkino 

of  Man  conftituting  the  Middle  or  Centre  while  he 
is  in  it,  for  he  is  then  in  the  Delight  and  in  the  Light 
thereof.     There  are  feme  Men,  who  after  Death 
are  taken  up  by  the  Lord  into  Heaven,  becaufe  they 
had  led  a  good  Life,  but  ftiil  carried  with  them  a 
Behef,  that  they  were  cleanfed  and  pure  from  Sins, 
and  therefore  not  in  a  State  of  Guilt ;  thefe  are  at 
firfl  cloathed  in  white  Garments  according  to  fuch 
Perfuafion,  for  white  Garments  fignify  a  State  of 
Purification  from  Evils  ;  but  afterwards  they  be- 
gin to  think,  as  they  did  in  the  World,  that  they 
are  waflied  clean  as  it  were  from  ail  Evil,   and 
therefore  come  to  boall  that  they  are  no  long- 
er Sinners  like  others,  which  Perfuafion  is  diffi- 
cult to  be  feparated  from  a  certain  Exultation  of 
Mind,  and  fome  Degree  of  Contempt  for  others 
when  compared  with  themfelves  ;    therefore  that 
this  imaginary  Belief  may  be  removed,  they  are 
then  remanded  from  Heaven,   and   let  into  their 
Evils  which  they  had  contracted  in  the  World, 
and  at  the  fame  Time  it  is  fhewn  them,  that  they 
are  in  hereditary  Evils,  which  they  knew  Nothing 
of  before  :    And  when  they  have  thus  been  forced 
to  acknowledge,  that  their  Evils  are  not  feparated 
from  them,  but  only  removed,  and  fo  that  of  them- 
felves they  are  impure,  yea  Nothing  but  Evil,  and 
that  it    is  by  the    Lord    that  they    are  detained 
from  Evils,  and  kept  in  Good,  and  that  this  appears 
to  them  as  from  themfelves,  they  are  again  taken 
up  by  the  Lord  into  Heaven.     Secondly  :  That 
it  is  an  Error  of  the  prefent  Age^  that  it  is  thought 
the  State  cf  Ma)is  Life  ca?i  be  changed  in  a  Mo7?ient, 
and  that  thus  Man  from  being  wicked  can  be  made 
goodj  corfcquently  brought  out  of  Hell^  and  inflantly 

iranjlatcd 


The  Divine  Providence.         413 

iranjlaied  into  Heaven,   ami  tins  by  the  immediaie 
Mercy  of  the  Lord :    They  are  in  this   Error,   who 
feparate  Charity  from  Faith,  and  place  Salvation  in 
Faith  alone,  for  they  imagine  that  the  bare  think- 
ing and   uttering  of  the  Words  adopted  by  that 
Faith,  if  it  be  done  with  Confidence  and  AlTurance, 
juftiiieth  and  faveth  ;   which  Eil'ect  is  alio  fuppofed 
by  fome  to  be  momentaneous,  and  if  not  before, 
yet  at  the  lafl  Hour  of  a  Man's  Life  ;  fuch  Perfons 
cannot  but  think,  that  Man's  State  of  Life  can  be 
changed  in  a  Moment,  and  that  he  can  be  faved  by 
immediate   Mercy  :    But  that  the  Mercy  of  the 
Lord  is  not  immediate,  and  that  Man  from  being 
wicked  cannot  be  made  good  in  a  Moment,  and  led 
out  of  Hell  and  tranflated  into  Heaven,  but  by  con- 
tinual Operations  of  the  Divine  Providence  from 
his  Infancy  to  the  End  of  his  Life,  will  be  feen  in  the 
lafl  Paragraph  of  this  Treatife  :  We  fliall  here  only 
obferve,  that  the  Laws  of  the  Divine  Providence 
have  all  of  them  for  their  End  the  Reformation  and 
thereby  the  Salvation  of  Man,  confequently  the 
Inverfion  of  his  State,  which  by  Birth  is  infernal,  to 
its  Oppofite,  which  is  celefiial ;  and  this  can  only 
be  effeded  progreflively,  as  Man  recedeth   from 
Evil  and  the   Delight  thereof,  and  entereth  into 
Good  and  its  Delight.     Thirdly  :  That  they  who 
are  of  this  Opinion^  know  not  at  all  ivhai  is  Evil  and 
what  is  Good:    For  they  do  not  know,  that  Evil  is 
the  Delight  of  the  Concupifcence  of  ading  and 
thinking  contrary  to  Divine  Order,  and  that  Good 
is  the  Delight  of  the  AfFetlion  of  acting  and  think- 
ing according  to  Divine  Order,  and  that  there  are 
Myriads  of  Concupifcences,  which  enter  as  Ingre- 
dients and  compofe  every  Evil,  and  that  there  are 

Myriads 


414    Angelic  Wisdom  concerninc 

Myriads  of  AfFedions,  which  in  like  Manner  enter 
every  Good  as  its  Ingredients  and  compofe  ir, 
and  that  thefe  Myriads  of  Concupifcences  and  Af^ 
fedions  exifl  in  fuch  Order  and  Connexion  in  the 
Interiors  of  Man,  that  no  one  of  them  can  ba 
changed,  without  changing  the  whole  al:  the  fam^ 
Time.  They  who  do  not  know  this,  may  think 
or  believe,  that  Evil,  which  appears  to  them  as  one, 
can  eafily  be  removed,  and  that  Good,  which  alfo 
appears  as  one,  can  be  introduced  in  its  Place, 
Thefe,  inafmuch  as  they  do  not  know  what  Evil  is, 
and  what  Good,  canilot  but  fuppofe  that  there  h 
fuch  a  Thing  as  momentaneous  Salvation  and  imr 
mediate  Mercy  ;  but  that  thefe  are  not  poflible, 
will  be  feen  in  the  lail  Paragraph  of  this  Treatife. 
Fourthly  ;  That  they  who  believe  in  momentaneous 
Salvation  and  immediate  Mercy ^  do  not  know  that  th$ 
Affedions^  which  are  of  the  Will,  are  mere  Changes  and 
Variations  of  the  State  of  the  purely  organic  Siib/lances 
of  the  Mind  ;  and  that  the  Thoughts,  which  are  of  the 
Vnderjlanding,  are  mere  Changes  and  Variations  of 
their  Form  ;  and  that  the  Memory  is  the  permanent 
State  of  thofe  Changes  and  Variations,  Who  doth 
not  alfent,  when  it  is  affirmed,  that  Affections  and 
Thoughts  do  not  exifl:  but  in  Subfl:ances  and  their 
Forms,  which  are  the  Subjefts  thereof,  and  forat 
much  as  they  exifl:  in  the  Brain,  which  is  full  of 
Subfl:ances  and  Forms,  they  are  called  Forms  purcy 
ly  organic  ?  No  one,  who  thinks  rationally,  can  d.o  - 
otherwife  than  laugh  at  the  Phantafies  of  fome,  ii^ 
fuppofing  that  Affedions  and  Thoughts  do  not  exf 
ifl:  in  fubfl:antiate  Subjeds ;  but  that  they  are  Va? 
pours  modified  by  Heat  and  Light,  like  Figures  ap? 

pearing 


The  Divine  Providence.        415 

pearmg  in  the  Air  or  Ether,  when  neverthelefa 
Thought  can  no  more  exiil  feparate  from  its  iub- 
flantial  Form,  than  Vifion  can  exiil  without  its  Iub* 
flantial  Form  which  is  the  Eye,  Hearing  without  its 
fubftantial  Form  which  is  the  Ear,  or  Tafle  without 
its  fubflftntial  Form  which  is  the  Tongue  ;  infped  the 
Brain,  and  you  will  fee  innumerable  Subftances  and 
Fibres,  and  that  every  Part  of  it  is  organized  ;  what 
Need  is  there  of  any  other  than  this  ocular  Proof  ? 
But  it  may  be  afk-ed,  what  is  Affection,  and  what  is 
Thought,  in  their  fubftantiate  Subjects  ?  A  fatisfac- 
tory  Anfwer  may  be  deduced  from  all  and  every 
Thing  in  the  Body^  where  there  are  many  Vifcera, 
each  fixed  in  its  particular  Situation,  and  which  op« 
erate  their  Fundions  by  Changes  and  Variations  of 
their  State  and  Form  ;  that  they  are  feverally  em- 
ployed in  their  refpedive  Operations,  is  well  known, 
the  Stomach  in  operating  its  Fundions,  and  fo  the 
Intellines,  the  Kidneys,  the  Liver,  Pancreas,  and 
Spleen  in  theirs,  and  likewife  the  Heart  and  Lungs, 
each  in  its  refpedive  Office^  and  all  thefe  Motions 
are  operated  only  intrinfically  or  within  themfelves, 
and  to  be  moved  intrinfically  is  to  operate  by  Vari- 
ations of  State  and  Form.  Hence  it  may  appear, 
that  the  Operations  of  the  purely  organic  Subftan- 
ces of  the  Mind  are  of  a  fimilar  Nature,  only  with 
this  Difference,  that  the  Operations  of  the  organic 
Subftances  of  the  Body  are  natural,  and  thofe  of  the 
organic  Subftances  of  the  Mind  are  fpiritual,  and 
that  both  thefe  a6l  as  one  by  Correfpondences. 
There  can  be  no  ocular  Demonftration  of  the 
Changes  and  Variations  of  State  and  Form  in  the 
organic  Subftances  of  the  Mind,  which  are  Afi'ec- 

tions. 


4i6      Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

tions,  but  yet  they  may  be  feen  as  it  were  in  a 
Gliils,  by  the  Changes  and  Variations  of  the  State 
of  the  Lungs  in  fpeaking  and  fmging,  there  being 
a  Correfpondence,  inafmuch  as  the  Sound  of  the 
Voice  in  Speaking,  and  Singing,  and  ahb  the  Artie-* 
ulations  of  Sound,  which  are  the  Words  in  Speech 
^ul]  the  Modulations  of  the  Voice  in  Singing,  are 
effected  by  the  Lungs,  and  Sound  correfponds  to 
Affedion,  and  Speech  to  Thought ;  they  are  alfo 
produced  thereby,  and  this  is  done  by  Changes  and 
Variations  of  the  State  and  Form  of  the  organic 
Subftances  of  the  Lungs,  and  from  the  Lungs  by 
the  Trachea  or  Wind-pipe  in  the  Larynx  and  Glot- 
tis, and  afterwards  in  the  Tongue,  and  laftly  in  the 
Mouth  and  Lips  ;  the  firil  Changes  and  Variations 
of  the  State  and  Form  of  Sound  are  produced  in  the 
Lungs,  the  fecond  in  the  Trachea  and  Larynx,  the 
third  in  the  Glottis  by  various  Openings  of  its  Ori- 
fice, the  fourth  in  the  Tongue  by  its  various  Appli- 
cations to  the  Palate  and  Teeth,  the  fifth  in  the  Lips 
by  difpofmg  them  in  various  Forms  :  Hence  it  mayi 
appear,  that  the  mere  Changes  and  Variations  of 
the  State  of  organic  Forms,  fucceflively  continued,- 
produce  Sounds  and  the  Articulations  thereof, 
which  are  Speech  and  Singing.  Now  forafmuch 
as  Sound  and  Speech  are  produced  from  no  other 
Source  than  from  the  Affedions  and  Thoughts  of 
the  Mind,  for  from  the  latter  the  former  exift,  and 
never  without  them,  it  is  evident  that  the  Affedion^ 
of  the  Will  are  Changes  and  Variations  of  the  State 
of  the  purely  organic  Subftances  of  the  Mind,  and 
that  the  Thoughts  of  the  Underflanding  are  Chang- 
es and  Variations  of  the  Form  of  thofe  Subftances  j 

iimilar 


The  Divine  Providence,        417 

finiilar  to  what  hath  juft  been  inftanced  in  the 
Lungs.  Forafmuch  as  AfFedions  and  Thoughts 
are  mere  Changes  of  the  State  of  the  Forms  of  the 
Mind,  it  follows,  that  the  Memory  is  Nothing  elfe 
but  the  permanent  State  thereof;  for  all  Changes 
and  Variations  of  State  in  organic  Subflances  are  of 
fuch  a  Nature,  that  when  once  they  become  habitual, 
they  are  permanent ;  thus  the  Lungs  are  habituated 
to  produce  various  Sounds  in  the  Trachea,  and  to 
vary  them  in  the  Glottis,  to  articulate  them  in  the 
Tongue,  and  to  modify  them  in  the  Mouth,  and 
when  thofe  Organs  are  once  habituated  to  them, 
they  are  in  them,  and  can  be  reproduced.  That 
thefe  Changes  and  Variations  are  infinitely  more 
perfedl  in  the  Organs  of  the  Mind,  than  in  the  Or- 
gans of  the  Body,  is  evident  from  what  is  faid  ia 
the  Treatife  concerning  The  Divine  Love  and 
THE  Divine  Wisdom,  n.  iig  t6  204,  where  it  is 
fhewn,  that  all  Perfedions  increafe  and  afcend  with 
Degrees,  and  according  to  them  :  On  this  Subject 
more  may  be  feen  below,  n.  319. 

280.  To  fuppofe  that  Sins,  when  they  are  remit- 
ted, are  alfo  removed,  is  hkewife  an  Error  of  this 
Age  ;  they  are  in  this  Error,  who  think  that  by  the 
Sacrament  of  the  Lord's  Supper  their  Sins  are  remit- 
ted, although  they  have  not  removed  them  from 
themfelves  by  Repentance  :  They  alio  are  in  this  Er- 
ror, who  think  to  be  faved  by  P'alth  alone  ;  and  thty 
who  think  to  be  faved  by  Difpenfations  from  the 
Pope  ;  all  thefe  believe  in  immediate  Mercy  and  mo- 
mentaneous  Salvation.  But  v/hen  this  Propofition 
is  reverfed,  then  it  becomes  a  Truth,  namely,  that 
when  Sins  are  removed,  they  are  alfo  remitted  j  for 
Lie  Repentance 


4i8      Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Repentance  rnufl  precede  RemilTion,  and  without 
Repentance  there  is  no  Remifiion  ;  wherefore  the 
Lord  commanded  his  Difciples  to  preach  Repent- 
ance for  the  RemifTion  of  Sins,  Luke  xxiv.  27  : 
And  John  preached  the  Baptifm  of  Repentance  for 
the  RemilTion  of  Sins,  Luke  iii.  3.  The  Lord  re- 
mitteth  the  Sins  of  all  Men,  he  doth  not  accufe  and 
impute,  but  yet  he  cannot  take  them  away  but  ac- 
cording to  the  Laws  of  his  Divine  Providence  ;  for 
fmce  he  faid  to  Peter  (who  afked  him  how  often  he 
fliould  forgive  his  Brother  Vv^hen  he  finned  againfl 
him,  whether  till  feven  Times)  that  he  ought  to  for- 
give him  not  only  feven  Times,  but  feventy  Times 
feven,  Matt,  xviii.  21,  22  ;  what  then  will  not  the 
Lord  do,  w^ho  is  Mercy  itfelf  ? 

281.  IV.  That  thiis  the  PcrmiJJion  of  EtH  is  fcr 
a  certain  End,  which  End  is  Salvation,  It  is  well 
known,  that  Man  is  in  full  Liberty  to  think  and 
■will,  but  not  in  full  Liberty  to  fpeak  and  a£l  what- 
foever  he  thinketh  and  willcth,  for  he  may  think  as 
an  Atheill,  deny  a  God,  and  blafpheme  the  holy 
Things  of  the  Word  and  of  the  Church,  yea,  he 
may  will  in  Word  and  in  Deed  utterly  to  deftroy 
them.  ;  but  this  latter  is  prevented  by  civil,  moral, 
and  ecclefiafticai  Laws,  wherefore  he  inwardly  cher- 
iflies  thefe  impious  and  wicked  Suggeflions,  by 
thinking  and  willing,  or  wifning,  and  aifo  by  intend- 
ing them,  but  not  by  doing  them.  A  Man,  who  is 
not  an  Atheill,  is  alfo  at  full  Liberty  to  think  many 
Things  which  are  of  Evil,  as  Things  fraudulent, 
laicivious,  vindictive,  and  other  Infanities,  which  he 
aifo  does  at  Times.  Who  can  believe,  that  unlefs 
Man  had  full  Liberty,  he  not  only  could  not  be 

faved, 


The  Divine  Providence.         419 

faved,  but  would  even  perifh  totally  ?  Hear  now  the 
Cauie  of  this ;  every  Man  from  his  Birth  is  in  Evils 
of  many  Kinds ;  thefe  Evils  are  in  his  Will,  and 
the  Things  which  are  in  the  Will  are  loved,  for 
that  which  a  Man  willeth  from  his  Interior,   the 
fame  he  loveth,  and  that  which  he  loveth,  the  fanie 
he  willeth  ;  and  the  Love  of  the  Will  lioweth  into 
the  Underitanding,  and  there  caufeth  its  Delight  to 
be  felt  :  Hence  it  comelh  into  the  Thoughts,  and 
alfo  into  the  Intentions  ;  wherefore  if  it  were  not 
permitted  Man  to  think  according  to  the  Love  of 
his  Will,   which  is  hereditarily  inherent   in  him, 
that  Love  would  continue  flmt  up,  and  would  never 
come  to  Sight  ;  and  the  Love  of  Evil,  which  doth 
not  appear,  is  like  an  Enemy  lying  in  wait,  like  cor- 
rupted Matter  in  an  Ulcer,  hke  Poifon  in  the  Blood, 
and  like  Rottennefs  in  the  Breafr  ;  which,  if  they 
are  kept  inclofed,  are  the  Caufes  of  Death.     But 
when  a  Man  is  permitted  to  think  the  Evils  of  his 
Life's  Love,  even  fo  far  as  to  intend  them,  they 
are  cured  by  fpiritual  Means,  as  Difeafes  are  by 
natural    Means.      What   would    be    Man's    State 
and  Nature,  if  it  were  not  permitted  him  to  think 
according    to    the   Delights    of    his    Life's    Love, 
fhall  now  be  fliewn  :  He  would  no  longer  be  Man, 
for  he  would  lofe  the  two  Faculties,  which  are  call- 
ed Liberty  and  Rationality,  in  which  Humanity  it- 
felf  confiRs  ;  the  Delights  of  the  above  Evils  would 
occupy  the  Interiors  of  his  Mind  in  fach  a  Degree, 
that  they  would  overcome  all  Reftraint,  and  open 
the  Door,  and  then  he  couKl  not  help  fpeaking  and 
ading  according  to  the  Delights  of  thofe  Evils,  and 
tlius  would  be  infant,  and  his  Infanity  would  not 

only 


420    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

only  be  known  to  hinifelf,  but  would  alfo  appear 
to  the  World,  and  at  length  he  would  not  have  the 
Senfe  to  cover  his  Nakednefs  :  But  to  prevent  this 
being  the  Cafe,  he  is  permitted  indeed  to  think  and 
to  will  his  hereditary  Evils,  but  not  to  fpeak  and  do 
them  ;  and  in  the  mean  Time  he  learns  Things 
civil,  moral,  and  fpiritual,  which  alfo  enter  into  his 
Thoughts,  and  remove  thefe  Infanities,  and  thereby 
he  is  healed  of  the  Lord,  but  yet  no  farther  than  to 
know  how  to  keep  the  Door  fliut,  unlefs  he  alfo  ac- 
knowledge a  God,  and  implore  his  Affiftance,  that 
he  may  be  able  to  refift  the  above  Evils  :  And  fo 
far  as  he  then  refills,  fo  far  he  doth  not  admit  them 
into  his  Intentions,  and  at  length  neither  into  his 
Thoughts.  Since  then  Man  is  at  Liberty  to  think 
as  he  pleafes,  to  the  End  that  his  Life's  Love  may 
come  forth  from  its  lurking  Place  into  the  Light  of 
his  Underflanding,  and  fmce  otherwife  he  would 
not  know  any  Thing  of  his  own  Evil,  and  confe- 
quently  would  not  know  how  to  e:5^pel  it,  it  follows, 
that  it  would  increafe  in  him  in  fuch  a  Meafure, 
that  there  would  be  no  PofTibility  of  Amendment 
in  him,  and  fcarcely  in  his  Children,  if  he  had  any  ; 
for  the  Evil  of  the  Parent  is  tranfmitted  to  his  OfF- 
fpring  ;  but  the  Lord  maketh  Provifion  that  this 
inay  not  be  the  Cafe. 

282.  The  Lord  could  cure  the  Underdancling  in 
every  Man,  and  fo  caufe  him  to  think  not  Evil,  but 
Good,  and  this  by  Means  of  various  Fears,  by  Mira- 
cles, by  fpeaking  with  the  Dead,  and  by  Vifions  and 
Dreams ;  but  to  cure  the  Under/landing  only,  is 
barely  to  cure  Man  outu^ardly  ;  for  the  Under- 
(tfinding  with  its  Thought  is  the  J^xternal  of  Life 

ia 


The  Divine  Providencs.         421 

in  Man,  and  the  Will  with  its  AiTeclIon  is  the  In- 
ternal  of  his  Life,  wherefore  the  Cure  of  the  Un- 
derftanding  alone  would  be  like  a  palliative  Cure, 
whereby  the  interior  Malignity  is  included,  and 
prevented  from  making  its  Exit,  fo  that  it  con- 
fumes  firfl  the  neighbouring  Parts  and  afterwards 
the  more  remote,  till  the  whole  is  mortified  ;  it  Is 
the  Will  itfclf  which  is  to  be  cured,  not  by  Influx 
of  the  Underflanding  into  it,  becaufe  that  never 
takes  Place,  but  by  Inftrudion  and  Exhortation 
from  the  Underflanding.  If  the  Underftanding 
slone  were  cured,  Man  would  become  like  a  dead 
Body  embalmed,  or  covered  over  with  fragrant 
Aromatics  and  Rofes,  which  in  a  fliort  Time  would 
contract  fuch  a  Stench  from  the  Corpfe,  that  no 
Body  could  come  near  it  ;  fuch  w^ould  be  the  Cafe 
with  celeftial  Truths  in  the  Underftanding,  if  the 
evil  Love  of  the  Will  were  obftru6led. 

283.  The  Reafon  why  Man  is  permitted  to  think 
Evils,  even  fo  far  as  to  intend  them,  is,  as  was  ob- 
ferved,  that  they  may  be  removed  by  Confiderations 
of  a  civil,  moral,  and  fpiritual  Nature,  as  is  the  Cafe 
when  he  thinks,  that  they  are  contrary  to  Juftice 
and  Equity,  contrary  to  Honefty  and  Decency, 
and  contrary  to  Goodnefs  and  Truth,  therefore 
contrary  to  the  Tranquillity,  Pleafure,  and  Hap- 
pinefs  of  Life  ;  by  thefe  three  Confiderations  the 
Lord  healeth  the  Love  of  Man's  Will  ;  and  indeed 
at  firft  by  Fear,  and  afterwards  by  Love.  Still 
however  Evils  are  not  feparated  and  caft  out  from 
Man,  but  only  removed  and  put  away  to  the  Sides, 
and  when  they  are  there,  then  they  do  not  appear  ; 
for  whatfoever  is  in  the  Middle,  the  fame  is  directly 

under 


422      Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

under  Infpedlon,  and  is  feen  and  perceived  :  But  It 
is  to  be  attended  to,  that  although  Good  be  in  the 
Middle,  yet  Pvlan  is  not  for  that  Reafon  in  Good, 
unlefs  the  Evils  which  are  at  the  Sides,  tend  down- 
wards and  outwards  ;  if  they  look  upwards  or  in- 
wards, they  are  not  removed,  for  they  dill  endeav- 
our to  return  to  the  Middle  :  They  tend  and  look 
downwards  or  outwards,  when  Man  fliuns  his  Evils 
as  Sins,  and  Hill  more  fo,  when  he  hath  an  Averfion 
to  them,  for  then  he  condemns  and  devotes  them 
to  Keli,  and  caufeth  them  to  look  thitherward. 

284,  The  Underflanding  of  Man  is  a  Recipient 
as  well  of  Good  as  of  Evil,  and  as  welf  of  Truth  as 
of  the  Falfe,  but  not  the  Will  of  Man  ;  this  lad 
Principle  muil  be  either  in  Evil  or  in  Good,  it  can- 
not be  in  both,  for  the  Will  is  the  Man  himfelf,  and 
therein  is  his  Life'5  Love  :  But  Good  and  Evil  in  the 
Underftanding  are  feparated,like  Internal  and  Exter- 
nal 5  hence  Pvlan  may  be  interiorly  in  Evil,  and  exteri- 
orly in  Good  :  Still  however,  when  Man  is  reformed. 
Good  and  Evil  are  committed,  and  then  there  exifts 
a  Confiid,  or  Combat,  which,  if  it  is  grievous,  is  call- 
ed Temptation,  but  if  it  is  not  grievous,  is  like  the 
Fermentation  of  Wine  or  Wort;  in  fuch  Cafe  if  Good 
overcomes.  Evil  with  its  Falfe  is  removed  to  the  Sides, 
comparatively  as  the  Lees  fall  to  the  Bottom  of  a 
VelTel,  and  Good  becometh  Hke  Wine  after  Fermen- 
tation generous  and  fine  ;  but  if  Evil  overcomes,  then 
Good  with  its  Truth  is  removed  to  the  Sides,  and  it 
becomes  turbid  and  foul  like  unfermented  Vi^ine. 
We  ufe  this  Comparifon  of  Fermentation,  becaufe 
Fermxent  in  the  Word  fignifies  the  Falfe  of  Evil,  as  in 
Hofea  vii.  4.    Luke  xii.  i  ;  and  in  other  Places. 

That 


The  Du^ine  Providence.         423 

That  the  Divine  Providence  is  alike  op^ 
erative  with  the  Wicked,  as  with  the 
Good. 

285.  TN  every  Man,  whether  he  be  good  or  evil, 
JL  there  are  two  Faculties,  one  of  which  con- 
flitutes  the  UndcrRanding  and  the  other  the  AVili  ; 
the  Faculty  which  conflitutes  the  Underflanding^ 
connfts  in  his  being  able  to  underftand  and  think, 
and  thence  is  called  Rationality  ;  and  the  Faculty 
which  conflitutes  the  Will,  confifts  in  his  being 
able  freely  to  do  fo,  viz.  to  think,  and  thence  alfo 
to  fpeak  and  ad,  provided  it  be  not  contrary  to 
Reafon  or  Rationality  ;  for  to  acl  freely,  is  to  a£t 
as  often  as  he  willeth,  and  according  as  he  willeth. 
Inafmuch  as  thefe  two  Faculties  are  perpetual,  and 
continual  from  Primaries  to  Ultimates  in  all  and 
every  Particular,  which  a  Man  thinketh  and  doeth, 
and  thefe  are  not  in  Man  from  himfelf,  but  are  in 
him  from  the  Lord,  it  follows,  that  the  Lord's  Pref- 
ence  with  and  in  thefe  Faculties  hath  Place  alfo  in 
each  Particular,  yea  in  each  mofl:  minute  Particular 
of  the  Underftanding  and  Thought,  as  well  as  of 
the  Will  and  AfFedion  of  Man,  and  thence  in  the 
Txioll  minute  Particulars  of  his  Speech  and  /Vdions ; 
remove  thefe  Faculties  from  any  the  fmalled  Partic- 
ular, and  you  will  not  be  able  to  think  it  or  fpeak  it 
as  a  Man.  That  Man  is  Man  by  Virtue  cf  thefe 
two  Faculties,  that  he  can  hereby  think  and  fpeak, 
perceive  Goods  and  undN^inuind  Truths,  not  only 

fuch 


4H    Angelic  Wisdom  concerking 

fuch  as  are  civil  and  moral,  but  alfo  fpiritual,  and 
be  rcfonned  and  regenerated,  in  a  Word,  that  he 
can  be  joined  unto  the  Lord,  and  thereby  live  eter- 
iially,  was  abundantly  fliewn  above  ;  and  it  was  alfo 
fhewn,  that  rhefe  two  Faculties  are  poffefled  not 
only  by  good  Men,  but  alio  by  the  Wicked.  Now 
forafmuch  as  thefe  Faculties  in  Man  are  from  the 
Lord,  and  not  appropriated  to  Man  aS  his  own,  fot 
the  Divine  (or  that  which  is  Divine)  cannot  be  ap- 
propriated lo  Man  as  his  own,  but  can  be  adjoined 
to  him,  and  thereby  appear  as  his  ;  and  forafmuch 
as  that  Divine  [Properly]  in  Man  exifls  in  the  mofl 
minute  particulars  appertaining  to  him,  it  follows, 
that  the  Lord  governs  Things  the  mofl:  particular, 
as  well  in  a  wicked  as  in  a  good  Man  ;  and  it  is  the 
Governmetit  of  the  Lord  which  is  called  the  Divine 
Providence. 

286.  Now  iince  It  Is  a  Law  oF  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, that  Man  fhould  a6t  freely  according  to  Rea- 
fon,  that  is,  from  thefe  two  FacuUies,  Liberty  and 
Rationality  ;  and  it  is  alfo  a  Law  of  the  Divine 
Providence,  that  that  which  he  doeth,  fhould  ap- 
pear to  Man  as  from  himfelf,  and  confequently  as 
his  own  ;  and  it  is  moreover  a  Law,  that  Evils  are 
to  be  permitted  to  the  End  that  he  may  be  led  out 
of  them.,  it  follows,  that  Man  may  abufe  thefe  Fac- 
ulties, and  from  Liberty  according  to  Reafon  con- 
firm whatfoever  he  will,  for  he  can  make  whatfoever 
he  will  a  Perfuafion  of  his  Reafon,  whether  it  be 
reafonable  In  itfelf  or  not  ;  wherefore  fome  fay. 
What  is  Truth  ?  Cannot  I  make  true  whatfoever  I 
Wl  ?  And  doth  not  the  World  alfo  do  fo  ?  Yet  he 
^'ho  can  do  this,  docth  it  by  Re?.fonings ;  aflume  c» 

Propcfitiou 


The  Divine  pRdviDENCE,         425 

Propofitloti  the  mod  falfe,  and  tell  an  ingenious 
Perlbn  to  confirm  it,  and  he  will  do  lb  ;  as  for  Ex- 
ample, tell  him  to  prove  that  Man  is  a  Bead  ;   or 
that  the  Soul  is  like  a  little  Spider  in  its  Web, 
und  governs  the  Body  as  the  Spider  does  by  its 
Threads  ;  or  that  Religion  is  Nothing  but  a  Bond 
of  Conftraint  to  keep  the  Vulgar  in  Awe  ;  and  he 
will  prove  any  of  thefe  Propofuions,  infomuch  that 
it  will  appear  true  :  And  what  is  eafier  ?  for  he  doth 
hot  know  what  an  Appearance  is,  nor  what  a  falfe 
Principle  is,  which  from  a  blind  Belief  is  aiiumed  as 
a  Truth  :    Hence  it  is,  that  Man  cannot  fee  this 
Truth,  that  the  Divine  Providence  ojxrates  in  the 
mod  minute  Particulars  of  the  Underdanding  and 
Will,  or,  what  amounts  to  the  fame  Thing,  in  the 
inod  minute  Particulars  of  the  Thoughts  and  Af- 
fections of  every  Man,  as  well  the  Wicked  as  the 
Good  :.  He  confounds  hinifelf  principally  by  fuppo- 
fuig,  that  in  this  Cafe  Evils  alio  would  be  from  the 
Lord  ;  nevertheleft  that  not  the  lead  Evil  is  from 
the  Lord,  but  that  it  is  from  Man,  by  Means  of  hisr 
c6nfirming  in  himfelf  the  Appearance  that  he  thinks, 
wills,  fpeaks,  and  acts  from  himfelf,  will  be  feen  in 
U'hat  now  follows  ;  which,  that  it  may  be  clearly 
underdood,  Ihall  be  deinondiated  in  this  Order, 
I.  That  the  Divine  Providence,  not  only  with  the 
Good,  but  alio  with  the  Wicked,  is  univerfally  in 
Things  the  mod  particular  ;   and  that  dill  it  is  not 
in  their  Evilsi       2.  That  the  Wicked  continually- 
lead  themfelves  into  Evils,  but  that  the  Lord  con- 
tinually withdrav.'eth  them  from  Evils.      3.   That 
the  Wicked  cannot  be  entirely  led  out  of  Kvilj  and 
^      led  into  Good,  lb  long  as  they  think  felf-derivcd 
t  v  f  Intelligence 


4^6    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Intelligence  Is  all,  and  the  Divine  Providence  Noth- 
ing. 4.  That  the  Lord  governs  Hell  by  Oppofites, 
and  that  the  Wicked  who  are  in  the  World  are 
governed  by  Him  in  Hell  as  to  their  Interiors,  but 
not  as  to  Exteriors. 

287.  I.  Thai  the  Divine  Providence^  7iot  only  iviih 
ihe  Good,  but  alfo  with  the  Wicked^  is  miiverfal  in 
Things  the  vioft  particular^  and  that  Jiill  it  is  not  in 
their  Evils.  It  was  Ihewn  above,  that  the  Divine 
Providence  is  (or  operates)  in  all  the  lead  Particu- 
lars of  the  Thoughts  and  Affe6lions  of  Men,  by 
which  it  is  meant,  that  Man  can  think  and  will 
Nothing  from  himfelf,  but  that  all  that  he  thinketh 
and  willeth,  and  thence  fpeaketh  and  docth,  is  by  In- 
flux ;  if  it  is  Good,  by  Influx  from  Heaven,  and  if 
Evil,  by  Influx  from  Hell  ;  or,  what  amounts  to 
the  fame,  that  Good  is  by  Influx  from  the  Lord, 
and  Evil  from  the  Proprlum  of  Man.  But  I  know 
that  this  is  difficult  to  be  comprehended,  becaufe  a 
Dillinclion  is  made  between  that  which  enters  by 
Influx  from  Heaven,  or  from  the  Lord,  and  that 
which  enters  by  Influx  from  Hell,  or  from  the  Pro- 
prium  of  Man  j  and  yet  it  is  faid  that  the  Divine 
Providence  is  in  all  the  lead  Particulars  of  the 
Thoughts  and  Aiteclions  of  Man,  infomuch  that 
Man  can  think  and  will  Nothing  from  himfelf  j  but 
becaufe  it  is  faid,  that  he  can  alfo  think  and  will 
from  Hell,  and  from  his  Proprium,  this  appears  like 
a  Contradidion,  neverthelefs  it  is  not  ;  that  it  is 
not  a  Contradidion,  will  be  fcen,  after  fome  Things 
are  J^remifed,  which  will  illuiirate  this  Matter. 

288.  All  the  Angels  of  Heaven  confefs,  that  no 
one  can  think  from  himfelf,  but  only  from  the 

Lord^ 


The  Divine  Providence.        427 

Lord,  but  all  the  Spirits  of  Hell  affirm  that  no  one 
can  think  from  any  other   than  himfelf ;   though 
fometimes  it  hath  been  fhewn  the  latter,  that  not 
cne  of  them  thinks  from  himfelf,  nor  can  do  it,  but 
that  Thought  is  produced  by  Influx  ;   in  vain  how- 
ever was  this  (hewn  them,  for  they  would  not  receive 
it.    But  Experience  fhall  teach,  firll,  that  the  whole 
of  Thought  and  AiFedion,  even  in  the  iafernal  Spi- 
rits, flows  from  Fleaven,  but  that  influent  Good  is 
there  turned  into  Evil,   and  influent  Truth  into 
Falfehood,-  and  fo  every  Thing  into  its  Oppofite  j 
this  was  proved  by  the  following  Experiment ;  there 
was  let  down  out  of  Heaven  a  certain  Truth  from 
the  Word,  and  the  fame  was  received  by  thofe  who 
were  in  the  fuperior  Hells,  and  fent  down  from  them 
to  the  inferior  Hells,  and  fo  on  to  the  loweft,  and  in 
its  Paflfage,  it  was  fuccefllvely  turned  into  Falfehood, 
and  at  length  into  fuch  Falfehood  as  was  dire£lly 
cppofite  to  this  Truth  ;  and  they,  among  whom  it 
was  fo  changed,  thought  what  is  falfe  as  from  them- 
felvcs,  and  knew  no  otherwife,  when  neverthelefs 
what  they  thought  was  this  Truth  defcending  from 
Heaven  fo  falnlied  and  perverted  in  its  Way  to  the 
lowed  Hell.     I  have  heard  that  this  was  done  three 
or  four  Times  :  The  Cafe  is  the  fame  with  Good, 
which  in  its  Defcent  from  Heaven  is  progreffively 
turned  into  Evil  oppofite  to  that  Good.     Thence  it 
was  evident,  that  Truth  and  Good  proceeding  from 
the  Lord,  when  h  is  received  by  thofe  who  are  In 
the  Falfe  and  in  Evil,  is  changed,  and  paifeth  iuiC) 
another  Form,  infomuch  that  its  firfl  Form  doth 
not  appear.     And  fo  it  is  with  every  v/icked  Man, 
for  fuch  a  cne  as  to  his  Spirit  is  in  Hell. 

2S9.  That 


42S    Angilic  Wisdom  concerkikg 

289.  That  neither  doth  any  one  in  Hell  think 
from  himfelf,  but  from  others  about  him,  nor  thole 
others  from  themfelves,  but  from  others  dill,  and 
that  l^houghts  and  Affeclions  make  an  orderly  Pro- 
grefTion  front  one  Society  to  another,  without  any 
one's  knowing  otherwife  than  that  tl;ey  are  fron^ 
himfelf,  hath  often  been  jQiewn  me.     Some,  who 
fuppoied  they  thought  and  willed  from  themfelves, 
were  fent  into  a  Society,  all  Communication  being 
cut  off  with  their  Neighbours,  to  whom  alio  their 
Thoughts  ufed  to  extend  themfelves,  and  were  de- 
tained therein  ;  and  then  they  were  told  to  think  oth-, 
erwife  than  the  Spirits  of  that  Society  thought,  and 
to  force  themfelves  t;o  think  contrary  to  it,  but  they 
confeffed  that  they  found  it  impoflible.     This  was 
done  with  many,  and  likewife  with  Leibnitz,  who 
was  alfo  convinced,  that  no  one  thinks  from  him^ 
felf,  but  from  others,  and  that  neither  do  thofe  oth- 
ers think  from  themfelves,  but  all  by  Influx  from 
Ikaven,  and  Heaven  by  Influx  from  the  Lord^ 
Soine,  when  they  meditated  on  this  Matter,  faid  that 
It  was  aftonifhing,  and  that  fcarce  any  one  would  be 
led  to  believe  it,  becaule  it  is  quite  contrary  to  Ap-, 
pearance,  but  that  yet  they  could  not  deny  it,  be- 
caufe  it  was  fiilly  proved  ;  neverthelefs,  in  their 
State  of  Admiration,  they  faid,  that  at  this  Rate 
they  are  not  in  Fault,  v/hen  they  think  Evil ;  alfo, 
that  thus  it  feems  as  if  Evil  were  from  the  Lord  ; 
and  moreover,  that  they  did  not  comprehend,  how 
the  Lord  alone  could  caufe  all  to  think  fo  different-. 
ly.     But  thefe  three  Points  Hiall  be  explained  ia 
what  follows. 

^90,   To 


The  Divinz  Pkovidekce.        429 

290.    To  the  Experience  already  ndduc^,  this 
alfo  fhall  be  added  ;   When  it  was  given  me  by  the 
Lord  to  fpeak  with  Spirits  and  Angels,  this  Arca- 
num was  immediately  revealed  to  me  ;   for  it  was 
told  me  out  of  Heaven,  that  I  believed  as  others  do, 
thatl'thought  and  wiiled  fi'om  myfelf^when  neverihe- 
lefs  it  is  not  from  myfelf,  but  if  good,  that  it  is  from 
the  Lord,  and  if  evil,  that  it  is  from  Hell :  That  this 
was  the  Cafe,  was  alfo  demonftrated  to  me  in  a  lively 
Manner  by  various  Thoughts  andi^ffeclions  induced, 
and  it  was  given  mefacceflively  to  perceive  andfeel  it; 
wherefore  afterwards,  as  foon  as  any  Evil  flole  into 
my  Will,  or  any  falfe  Principle  into  my  Thoughts,  X 
inquired  whence  it  came,  and  it  was  difcovered  to  mc, 
and  moreover  it  was  given  to  fpeak  with  Them,  to  re- 
buk^  them,  and  to  drive  them  away  thai  they  might 
retire,  and  fo  withdraw  their  evil  and  falfe  Principle, 
and  keep  it  to  themfelves,  and  no  longer  infufe  any 
fuch  Thing  into  my  Thoughts :  This  hath  been  done 
a  thoufand  Times ;  and  in  this  State  I  have  remained 
now  for  many  Years,  and  (till  continue  in  it ;  and  yet 
1  feem  to  myfelf  to  think  and  will  from  myfelf  hke 
others,  without  any  Difference  ;    for  it  is  of  the 
Lord's  Divine  Providence  that  it  dityuld  fo  appear 
to  every  one,  as  was  fliewn  above  in  its  proper  Ar- 
ticle.     Novitiate  Spirits  wonder  at  this  my  State, 
for  it  feems  to  them  as  if  1  did  not  think  and  will 
any  Thing  from  myfelf,  and  therefore  that  i  am  like 
Something  empty  ;  but  I  opened  this  Arcanum  to 
llicm  y  and  moreover  that  I  alio  think  more  interi- 
orly, and  perceive  what   flows   into  my  exterior 
Ihought,    whether   it  be  from   Heaven   or  from 
Jlell,  and  that  1  reject  the  latter  and  receive  the 

former. 


430    Angelic  WtsDOM  concerning 

former,  and  that  ftlll  I  feem  to  myfelf,  juft  as  they 
doj  to  think  and  will  from  myfelf. 

291.  That  all  Good  is  from  Heaven,  and  all 
Evil  from  Hell,  is  not  unknown  in  the  World  ; 
it  is  known  to  every  one  in  the  Church  ;  who, 
that  is  admitted  to  the  Priefthood,  doth  not  teach 
that  all  Good  is  from  God,  and  that  Man  cannot 
take  any  Thing  from  himfelf,  which  is  not  given 
him  from  Heaven  ;  alfo  that  the  Devil  infufeth 
Evils  into  Men's  Thoughts,  and  feduceth  them, 
and  exciteth  them  to  do  Evils  i  Wherefore  a 
Priefl,  who  thinks  he  preacheth  from  holy  Zeal, 
4)rayeth  that  the  Holy  Ghofl  would  teach  him, 
lead  and  influence  his  Thoughts  and  Words,  and 
fome  fay  they  perceive  fenfibly  that  they  are  aded 
upon,  and  when  their  Preachings  are  commended, 
anfwer  pioully,  that  they  did  not  fpeak  from  them- 
felves,  but  from  God.  Wherefore  alfo,  when  they 
fee  any  one  fpeak  and  zd:  well,  they  fay  he  was  led 
of  God  to  do  it ;  and  on  the  other  Hand,  when 
they  fee  any  one  fpeak  and  aft  wickedly,  they  fay 
"he  was  led  to  it  by  the  Devil :  That  this  is  the 
Language  of  the  Church,  is  well  known  ;  but  who 
believes  in  the  Truth  of  it  ? 

292.  That  all  that  a  Man  thinks  and  wills,  and 
coniequently  fays  and  does,  flows  from  the  only 
Fountain  of  Life,  and  that  ilill  the  only  Fountain 
of  Life,  which  is  the  Lord,  is  not  the  Caufe  of 
Man's  thinking  Evil  and  Falfe,  may  be  illuftrated 
by  the  following  Circumftance  in  the  natural 
World  :  From  its  Sun  there  proceedeth  Heat  and 
Light,  and  thefe  two  flow  into  all  the  Subjefts  and 
Objects  which  we  fee,  not  only  into  good  Subjects 

and 


The  Divine  Providi:nce.        431 

and  beautiful  Objeds,  but  alfo  into  evil  Subje<5ls 
and  unbeaiuiful  Objeds,  and  produce  in  them  va- 
rious EtFods  :  For  they  flow  not  only  into  Trees 
which  bear  good  Fruit,  but  alfo  into  Trees  which 
bear  bad  Fruit,  yea  even  into  the  Fruits  themfelves, 
and  caufe  them  to  vegetate  ;  in  Hke  Manner  they 
flow  into  good  Seed,  and  alfo  into  Tares  ;  likewife 
into  ufeful  or  wholefoine  Shrubs,  and  alfo  into 
hurtful  or  poifonous  Shrubs  5  and  yet  it  is  the  fame 
Heat  and  the  fame  Light,  in  which  there  is  not  any 
Caufe  of  Evil,  for  that  exiils  in  the  recipient  Sub- 
jeds  and  Objeds.  The  Adion  of  Heat  in  hatching 
Eggs,  in  which  there  is  an  Owl,  a  Screech-Owl,  or 
an  Afp,  is  the  fame  as  in  hatching  Eggs  which  con- 
tain a  Dove,  a  beautiful  Bird,  or  a  Swan  ;  fet  both 
Kinds  of  Eggs  under  a  Hen,  and  they  will  be  hatch- 
ed by  her  Heat,  which  in  itfelf  is  harmlefs ;  what 
then  hath  the  Heat  in  common  with  thefe  evil  and 
noxious  Things  ?  The  Adion  of  Heat,  when  it 
flows  into  niarfhy  Grounds,  ftercoraceous,  putrid, 
and  cadaverous  Subftances,  is  the  fame  as  when  it 
flows  into  vinous,  fragrant,  vegetating,  and  living 
Subll^nces ;  who  but  mult  fee,  that  the  Caufe 
doth  not  exifl  in  the  Heat,  but  in  the  recipient  Sub- 
jed  ?  Moreover,  the  fame  Light  produces  in  one 
Objed  beautiful, -and  in  another  difagreeable  Col- 
oars  ;  yea,  it  brighteneth  itfelf  in  white  Objeds 
and  fhineth,  and  becomes  opaque  in  Objeds  verg- 
ing towards  black,  and  darkeneth  itfelf.  It  is  the 
fame  in  the  fpiritual  World,  there  alfo  there  is 
Heat  and  Light  from  the  Sun  thereof,  which  is  the 
Lord  ;  this  Heat  and  Light  flow  from  Him  into 
their  Subjcdi  and  Objeds  3  the  Subjeds  and  Ob- 
jeds 


4^2    Akc^lic  Wisdom  coKcfiiaNtNo 

je6l?  there  are  Angels  and  Spirits,  fpecifically  the 
Things  appertaining  to  their  voluntary  and  in-* 
telleclual  Faculties  ;  the  Heat  there  is  the  proceed- 
ing Divine  Love,  and  the  Light  there  is  the  pro» 
ceeding  Divine  Wifdom  ;  the  Caufe  why  they  are 
Ireceived  differently  by  one  and  by  another,  doth 
not  exiil  in  the  Heat  and  Light ;  for  the  Lord 
faith,  "  That  he  maketh  his  Sun  to  rife  on  the 
Evil  and  on  the  Good,  and  fendeth  Rain  on  the 
Jufi:  and  on  the  Unjuft,"  Matt.  v»  45 ;  by  Sun,  in 
-the  fupreme  fpiritual  Senf;^,  is  meant  the  Divine 
Love,  and  by  Rain  the  Divine  Wifdom^ 

293.  To  this  I  v/ill  add  a  Sentiment  of  the  An- 
gels [^Afigelica  Senfentia]  concerning  Will  and  In- 
telligence in  Man  ;  their  Sentiment  is  this,  that 
there  doth  not  exift  in  any  i\lan  one  Grain  of  Will 
or  Prudence  that  is  proper  to  himfelf ;  for  they  fay, 
if  there  exilled  one  Grain  in  any  Ivlali^  neither 
Heaven  nor  Hell  could  hold  together,  and  the  whole 
human  Race  would  perifh  \  the  'Reafon,  they  fay, 
is,  becaufe  Myriads  of  Myriads  of  Men,  as  many 
as  have  been  born  fmce  the  Creation  of  the  Worlds 
conPcitute  Heaven  and  Hell,  which  are  fo  fubordi^ 
"Bate  one  to  another^  that  on  each  Part  they  makd 
one.  Heaven  one  beautiful  Man,  and  Hell  one 
Man-Monfter  ;  and  if  any  lingle  Perfon  had  a  fm- 
gle  Grain  of  Will  and  Intelligence  of  his  oWn, 
this  One  could  not  poilil^ly  exifi,  but  would  be  dif- 
tracledj  and  with  it  that  Divine  Form  would  perifh  ^ 
which  can  no  otherwife  confid  and  be  permanent^ 
than  when  the  Lord  is  All  in  AIU  and  they  alto- 
gether Nothing.  They  fay,  another  Reafon  is. 
becaufe  the  Divine  Principle  Goufiils  eHentially  in 

thinking 


The  Divine  Providenge. 


433 


thinking  and  willing  from  itfelf,  and  the  human 
Principle  confilh  eirentially  in  thinking  and  willing 
from  God  ;  and  what  is  eilentially  Divine  cannot 
be  appropriated  to  any  Man,  for  in  that  Cafe  Man 
would  be  a  God.  Keep  this  in  Remembrance,  and 
if  you  defire,  it  will  be  confirmed  to  you  by  the 
Angels,  when  ycu  enter  into  the  fpiriuial  Vv^orid  af- 
ter Death. 

294.    It  was  obferved   above,  n.  cSg,  that  when 
fome  were  convinced  that  no  one  thinks  from  him- 
felf,  but  from  others,  ai>d  that  all  thofe  others  think, 
not  from  themfelves,  but  by  Influx  through  Heaven 
from  the  Lord,  they  faid  in  Admiration,  that  as 
this  is  the  Cafe,  tliey  are  not  blameable  when  they 
do  Evil ;  alfo,  that  as  this  is  the  Cafe,  it  fcems  that 
Evil  is  from  the  Lord ;  and  hkewife  that  they  did 
tiot  .comprehend,  that  the  Lord  alone  could  caufc 
all  to  think  fo  diverfely.     Now  inafmuch  as  thefe 
three  Suggeftions  cannot  but  fiow  into  the  Thoughts 
of  thofe  who  only  think  of  Effeds  from  Effects,  and 
not  of  Effects  from  Caufe§,  it  is  neceffary  that  they 
fhould  be  affumed,  and  explained  from  their  Cauf- 
cs.     First  :  That  as  this  is  the  Cafe,  it  would  not  be 
their  Faulty  if  they  did  Evil :  For  if  all  that  a  Man 
thinks  iiows  from  ethers,  it  feems  as  if  the  Fault 
were  in  thofe  from  whom  it  ffows ;  neverthelefs  the 
Fault  is  in  him  who  receives,  for  he  receives  it  as 
his  own,  nor  doth  he  know^  any  otherwife,  neither 
doth  he  with  to  know  any  otherwife  ;  for  every  one 
defires  to  be  his  own,  and  to  be  guided  by  himfeff, 
and  efpecially  to  think  and  will  for  hinifelf ;  for  this 
is  Liberty  iifclf,  which  appears  as  proper  to  ]\Ian, 
or  a?  the  Proprium  in  which  every  Man  is  j  where- 
G  G  g  fore 


434     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

fore  if  he  knew,  that  whalfoever  he  thinketh  and 
willeth,  flows  from  another,  he  would  feem  to  him- 
felf  to  be  in  Captivity  and  in  Chains,  and  no  longer 
Mader  of  himfelf,  and  fo  all  the  Delight  of  his 
Life  would  periih,  and  at  length  his  Humanity  itfelf. 
That  this  is  the  Cafe,  1  have  frequently  feen  prov- 
ed ;  it  was  given  certain  Spirits  to  perceive  and  feel 
that  they  were  led  by  others,  and  then  their  Anger 
was  kindled  to  fuch  a  Degree,  that  they  became  as 
it  were  befide  themfelves,  and  faid,  that  they  would 
rather  be  kept  in  Chains  in  Hell,  than  not  to  be  al- 
lowed to  think  as  they  will,  and  will  as  they  think  : 
Not  to  be  allowed  to  do  this,   they  called  being 
chained  with   Refped  to  their  very  Lives,  which 
was  harder  and  more  intolerable  than  being  chain- 
ed with  Refped:  to  their  Bodies  ;  net  to  be  allowed 
to  fpeak  and  act  as  they  thought  and  willed,  this 
they  did  not  call  being  chained,  becaufc  the  Delight 
of  civil  and  moral  Life,  which  confdls  in  fpeaking 
and  adhig,  retrains,  and  at  the  fame  Time  as  it 
were  alleviates  the  Reftnnnt.     Now  forafmuch  as 
Man  doth  not  defire  to  know,  that  he  is  led  to  think 
by  others,  but  is  defirous  to  think  from  himlelf, 
and  alfo  believes  that  he  does  it,  it  follows  that  the 
Fault  is  in  himfelf,  neither  can  he  free  himfelf  from  it, 
fo  long  as  he  continues  to  think  what  he  does  think  ; 
but  if  he  does  not  love  it,  he  diilolves  his  Connexion 
with  thoie  from  whom  his  Thought  flows ;  this  is 
the  Cafe  when  he  knows  that  it  is  Evil,  and  therefore 
defires  to  fiiun  it,  and  defilf.  from  it ;  then  alfo  he 
is  taken  away  of  the  Lord  from  the  Society,  which 
15  in  that  Evil,  and  tranflated  to  a  Society  in  vhich 
that  Evil  does  not  exilfj  but  ii"  he  knows  the  Evil, 

and 


The  Divine  Providence.         435 

and  doth  not  fhiin  it,  tlien  the  Fault  is  imputed  to 
him,  and  he  becomes  guihy  of  that  Evil.     There- 
fore whatfoever  a  Man  thinks  he  does  from  himfelf, 
the  fame  is  faid  to  be  done  from  the  Man,  and  not 
from  the  Lord.     Spcondly:    That  as  this  is  the 
Cafe^  itfeems  that  Evil  is  from  the  Lord :   1  his  may 
be  thought  to  be  a  Conclufion  deducible  from  what 
^as  lliewn  above,  n.  288,  which  is,  that  influent 
Good  from  the  Lord  is  turned  into  Evil,  and  Truth 
into  what  is  Falfe,  in  Hell :    But  who  cannot  fee, 
that    Evil  and    the   falfe    Principle  are   not  frcra 
Goodnefs  and  Truth,  confequently  not  from  the 
Lord,  but  from  the  recipient  Subjed  and  ObjecV, 
which  is  in  Evil,  and  in  the  falfe  Principle,  and  per- 
verts and  inverts  Goodnefs  and  Truth,  as  was  alfo 
fully  Ihewn  above,  n.  292  ?  Whence  the  Evil  and 
falfe  Principle  in  Man  proceeds,  is  in  many  Places 
fliewn  in  the  preceding    Pages.      An  Experiment 
was  alfo  made  in  the  fniritual  World  with  thofe  who 
thought  that  the  Lord  could  remove  Evils  from  the 
Wicked,  and  introduce  Good  in  Place  thereof,  and 
fo  transfer  all  Hell  into  Heaven,  and  fave  all ;  but 
that  this  is  impofllhle,  will  be  fcen  at  the  End  of  this 
Treatife,  w  here  momenlaiieous  Salvation  and  imme- 
diate Mercy  are  treated  of.     Thirdly:  That  they 
did  not  conrprehend^  how  the  Lord  alone  ccuJd  caufe  all 
to  think  fo  diver fely  :  The  Divine  Love  of  the  Lord 
is  infinite,  and  his  Divine  Wifdoui  is  infmile,  and 
infinite  Things  of  Love  and  inhnite  Things  oi  Wif- 
dom  proceed  from  the  Lord,  and  How  inlc  all  in 
Heaven,  and  tlienre  into  all  in  Hell,  and  iVom  both 
into  all   the  World  ;    wherefore  there   cannot  be 
wanting  to  any  one  S^incthiug  to  think  and  to  will^ 


436      Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

for  infinte  Things  are  infinitely  all.  Thofe  infinite 
Things,  which  proceed  from  the  Lord,  not  only 
flow  iiniverfally,  but  alfo  mod  particularly,  for  the 
Divine  [Agency]  is  univerfal,  by  taking  Place  in 
Things  the  nioft  particular,  and  it  is  Divine  Partic- 
ular's which  compofe  what  is  called  Univerfal,  as  was 
fhewn  above  j  and  the  mod  minute  Divine  Particu- 
lar is  alfo  infinite.  Hence  it  may  appear,  that  the 
Lord  alone  caufeth  every  one  to  think  and  will  ac- 
cording to  his  Quality,  and  according  to  the  Laws 
of  his  Providence.  That  all  the  Things  which  are 
in  the  Lord,  and  proceed  from  the  Lord,  are  infi- 
nite, was  (hewn  above,  n.  46  to  69  ;  and  alfo  in  the 
Treatife  on  The  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine 
Wisdom,  n.  17  to  22. 

295.  IL  Thai  the  Wicked  continually  lead  thcmfehcs 
into  Evils'^  but  that  the  Lord  continually  leadetb  them 
cut  cf  Evils.  How  the  Divine  Providence  operates 
with  the  Good,  may  be  more  eafily  comprehended, 
than  hov/  it  operates  with  the  Evil ;  and  forafmuch 
as  the  latter  Operation  is  now  treated  of,  it  Ihall  be 
fet  forth  in  the  following  Series,  i.  That  there 
are  Things  innumerable  in  every  Evil.  2.  That 
the  wicked  Man  from  hnnfelf  plungeth  himfelf  con- 
tinually more  and  more  deeply  into  his  Evils.  3. 
That  the  Divine  Providence  with  the  Wicked  is  a 
continual  PermilTion  of  Evil,  to  the  End  that  there 
rnay  be  a  continual  Abduction  therefrom,  or  that 
they  may  be  continually  drawn  out  of  it.  4.  That 
Abdudion  or  Deliverance  from  Evil  is  eifeiSled  of 
the  Lord  by  a  thoufand  mod  fecret  Means. 

296.  In  Order  then  that  the  Nature  of  the  Di- 
vine Providence  in  its  Operation  with  the  Wicked 

mny 


The  Divine  Providence.         437 

may  be  diftindly  perceived,  and  fo  comprehended, 
the  above  Propofitions  (liall  be  explained  ia  the  Or- 
der in  which  they  are  adduced  :  First  :  That  there 
are  Things  innii?ncrable  i?i  every  Evil :  Every  Evil  ap- 
pears to  Man  as  one  fimple  Thing,  this  is  the  Cafe 
with  Hatred  and  Revenge,  alfo  with  Theft  and 
Fraud,  Adultery  and  Whoredom,  Pride  and  High- 
mindednefs,  and  with  every  other  Evil ;  and  it  is 
not  known  that  in  every  Evil  there  are  Things  in- 
numerable, exceeding  in  Number  tl:c  Fibres  and 
VelTels  in  a  Man's  Body ;  for  a  wicked  Man  is  a 
Hell  in  its  lead  Form,  and  Hell  confifls  of  Myriads 
of  Myriads,  and  every  one  there  is  in  a  human  Form 
although  it  be  a  monftrous  one,  and  all  the  Fibres 
and  all  the  Veflels  in  it  are  inverted ;  the  Spirit  it- 
felf  is  Evil,  appearing  to  itfelfas  one;  but  innume- 
rable as  the  Things  are  that  are  in  it,  fo  innumera- 
ble are  the  Concupifcences  of  its  Evil ;  for  every 
Man  is  his  own  Evil  or  his  own  Good  from  the 
Crown  of  his  Head  to  the  Sole  of  his  Foot :  Since 
then  a  wicked  Man  is  fuch,  it  is  evident  that  he  is 
one  Evil,  compofed  of  various  innumerable  ones, 
which  are  difLinclIy  Evils,  and  are  called  Concupi- 
fcences of  Evil.  Hence  it  follows,  that  all  tliefe  in 
their  Order  are  to  be  repaired  and  converted  of  the 
Lord,  to  the  End  that  Man  may  be  reformed,  and 
that  this  cannot  be  efie<fted  but  by  the  Divine  Prov- 
idence, fucceiTivcly  from  the  earliefl  Period  of  Man's 
Life  to  its  Termination.  Every  Concupifcence  of 
Evil  appears  in  Hell,  when  it  is  represented,  hl<ie 
fome  noxious  Animal ;  as  for  Examjjle,  either  like 
a  Dragon,  or  a  Bafilifk,  or  a  Viper,  or  an  Owl,  or  a 
Screech-Owl,  and  fo  forth  ;  in  the  fame  Manner  do 

th<? 


•438     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

the  Concupifcences  of  Evil  appear  about  a  wicked 
Man,  when  he  is  viewed  by  the  Angels  ;  all  thefe 
Forms  of  Concupifcences  are  to  be  changed  feveral- 
ly  ;  the  Man  hinifelf,  who  with  Refpect  to  his 
Spirit  appears  as  a  Monfler  or  a  Devil,  is  to  be  con- 
verted that  he  may  become  like  a  beautiful  Angel, 
and  each  Concupifcence  of  Evil  is  to  be  converted 
or  changed,  that  it  may  appear  like  a  Lamb  or  a 
Sheep,  or  hke  a  Pigeon,  and  a  Turtle  Dove,  as  the 
good  Affections  of  the  Angels  appear  in  Heaven, 
v/hen  they  are  reprefented  ;  and  the  Converhon  of 
a  Dragon  into  a  Lamb,  of  a  Bafilifk  into  a  Sheep, 
ajid  of  an  Owl  into  a  Dove,  cannot  be  effeded  ex- 
cept progredively,  by  rooting  out  Evil  from  its 
Seed,  and  fowing  good  Seed  in  the  Place  of  it. 
But  this  mud  be  done  ctmiparatively  like  the  in- 
grafting of  Trees,  the  Roots  of  which  with  fome 
of  the  Trunk  remain  ;  neverthelefs  the  ingrafted 
Branch  converts  the  Juices  extracted  from  the  old 
Root  into  Juices  producing  good  Fruit  :  The 
Branch  which  is  to  be  ino«ulat«d  cannot  be  taken 
from  any  other  but  from  the  Lord,  who  is  the  Tree 
of  Life  ;  which  is  alfo  according  to  the  Word  of 
the  Lord,  John  xv.  i  to  7.  S£C0ni>ly  :  That  the 
wicked  Man  from  himfelf  continually  phingeth  him/elf 
more  deeply  into  his  Evils  :  It  is  faid,  from  himlelf, 
becaufe  all  Evil  is  from  Man,  for  he  converteth  the 
Good  which  is  from  tlie  Lord  into  Evil,  as  was  faid 
above.  Ihe  true  Realbn  why  the  wicked  Man 
plungeth  himfelf  more  deeply  into  Evil,  is,  becaufe 
he  introduceth  himfelf  more  and  more  interiorly, 
and  alfo  more  and  more  deeply,  into  infernal  So- 
cieties, as  he  willeth  and  doeth  Evil  ^    thence  alfo 

the 


The  Divine  Providence.        439 

the  Delight  of  Evil  increafeth,  and  fo  occupies  his 
Thoughts,  that  at  lali:  he  feels  nothing  more  pleaf- 
ant ;  and  he  who  hath  introduced  himfelf  more 
interiorly  and  profoundly  into  infernal  Societies, 
becometh  like  one  bound  in  Chains ;  but  fo  long 
as  he  liveth  in  the  World,  he  doth  not  feci  his 
Chains,  for  they  are  like  foft  Wool,  or  fine  filken 
Threads,  which  he  loves  becaufe  they  are  pleafure- 
able ;  but  after  Death  thofe  Chains  from  foft  be- 
come hard,  and  inflead  of  being  pleafureable,  they 
are  galling.  That  the  Delight  of  Evil  is  capable  of 
Increafe,  is  well  known  from  Thefts,  Robberies, 
Revenges,  Depredations,  Tyrannies,  Defire  of  Lu- 
cre, and  other  Evils ;  who  doth  not  feel  Elevations 
of  the  Delight  of  thefe  Evils,  in  Proportion  to  his 
Succefs  and  unreftrained  Practice  thereof  ?  It  is 
well  known,  that  the  Thief  feels  fuch  Delight  in 
Thefts,  that  he  cannot  defifl  from  them,  and,  what 
is  wonderful,  that  he  loves  one  flolen  Piece  of 
Money  better  than  ten  that  are  given  him  :  It  would 
be  the  fame  with  Adulteries,  if  it  were  not  provid- 
ed, that  the  Power  of  committing  that  Evil  de- 
creafes  according  to  the  Abufe  of  it ;  but  yet  with 
many  there  remaineth  a  Delight  in  thinking  and 
fpeaking  of  it,  and  if  Nothing  more,  a  Lufl  of 
touching.  But  it  is  not  known  what  is  the  Reafon 
of  this  Increafe  of  Delieht,  and  that  it  is  a  Ccnfe- 
quence  of  the  Perfon's  introducing  himfelf  into 
infernal  Societies  more  and  more  interiorly,  and 
more  and  more  deeply,  as  he  commits  Evils  in  Will, 
and  at  the  fame  Time  in  Thought ;  if  they  are  on- 
ly in  Thought,  and  not  in  Will,  he  is  not  yet  with 
Evil  in  an  infernal  Society,  but  he  then  enters  vvhen 

they 


4^xo    Akgelic  Wisdom  coNCERNiNa 

they  are  alfo  in  the  Will ;  if  in  this  Cafe  he  thinks 
alfo  that  fuch  Evil  is  contrary  to  the  Precepts  of 
the  Decalogue,  and  confidsrs  thefe  Precepts  as 
Divine,  he  then  commits  it  intentionally,  and  there- 
by plunges  himfelf  into  Hell  more  deeply,  whence 
he  cannot  be  drawn  out  but  by  actual  Repentance. 
It  is  to  be  obferved,  that  every  Man,  with  RefpeO: 
to  his  Spirit,  is  in  the  fpiiitual  World  in  fome  So- 
ciety there,  the  wicked  Man  in  fome  infernal  So- 
ciety, and  the  good  Man  in  fome  celedial  Society ; 
he  alfo  appears  there  fometimes  when  he  is  in  deep 
\jilta~]  Meditation.  Moreover,  as  Sound  together 
with  Speech  diffufes  itfelf  in  the  Air  in  the  natural 
World,  fo  doth  Affedtion  together  with  Thought 
diilufe  itfelf  among  Societies  in  the  fpiritual  W^orld  ; 
there  is  alfo  a  Correfpondence  between  them,  for 
Aifeclion  correfponds  to  Sound j>  and  Thought  to 
Speech.  Thirdly  :  27?^/  the  Divine  Providence 
with  the  Wicked  is  a.  continual  Fermiffion  of  Evil^  io 
the  End  that  they  may  be  continually  drawn  out  of  it* 
The  Reafon  why  .the  Divine  Providence  xnih  wick- 
ed Men  is  continual  PerruiOion,  is,  becaufe  Nothing 
but  Evil  can  proceed  out  of  their  Life  ;  for  Man, 
whether  he  be  in  Good,  or  in  Evil,  cannot  be  in 
both  at  once,  neither  alternately,  except  he  be 
lukewarm  ;  and  Evil  of  Life  is  not  introduced 
into  the  Will,  and  through  it  into  the  Thought, 
by  the  Lord,  but  it  is  introduced  by  Man,  and  this 
is  called  Permillion.  Now  forafnmch  as  all  that  a 
wicked  Man  wiileth  and  thinketh  is  of  Permiffioa, 
jt  may  be  alked,  how  then  is  the  Divine  Providence 
therein,  which  is  faid  to  be  in  the  moil:  minute  Par- 
ticulars  v/ith  every  M;.u'u  cis   well   the  Wicked  as 

the 


The  Divine  Providence.        ^t 

the  Good.?    I  anforerj  In  this  Refped,  that  it  con«« 
tinually  permitteth  for  a  certain  End,  and  that  it 
permiiteth  luch  Things  as  are  conciur^v^..  to  that 
End,  and  no  others,  and  that  it  continuHliy  exam- 
ines, feparates,  and  purifies  the  Evils  which  iffue 
forth  by  Permiflion,  and  fiich  as  are  not  confident 
with  the  End  propofed,  it  removes  and  exonerates 
by  unknown  Ways  :  Thefe  Things  are  done  prin- 
cipally in  the  interior  Will  of  Man,  and  from  it  in 
his  interior  Thought :    The  Divine  Providence  is 
alfo  continual  in  this,  that  it  provideth  that  thofe 
Things  which  are  to  be  removed  and  exonerated, 
fhould  not  be  again  received  by  the  Will,  becaufe 
ail  Things  which  are  received  by  the  Will  are  ap- 
propriated to  Man  ;    but  the  Things  which  are  re- 
ceived in  the  Thought  and  not  in  the  Will,  are  fep- 
arated  and  fet  afide.     This  is  the  Lord's  continual 
Providence  with  the  Wicked,  which,  as  was  ob- 
ferved,  is  a  continual  Permiflion  of  Evil,  to  the 
End  that'they  may  be  perpetually  drawn  out  of  it* 
OI  thefe  Operations  of  Providence,  Man  fcarcely 
knoweth  any  Thing,  becaufe  he  doth  not  perceive 
them  ;    the  primary  Reafon  why  he  doth  not  per- 
ceive them,  is,  becaufe  Evils  are  of  the  Concupi- 
fcences  of  his  Life's  Love,  and  thofe  Evils  are  not 
perceived  as  Evils,  but  as  Delights,  to  which  no  one 
attends  ;    for  who  attends  to  the  Delights  of  his 
Love  ?  Man's  Thought  fwims  in  them,  hke  a  Boat 
when  it  is  carried  along  by  a  gliding  Stream  ;   and 
it  is  perceived  as  a  fragrant  Atmofphere,  which  is 
drawn  in  with  full  Infpiration  :    He  can  only  per- 
ceive Something  thereof  in  his  external  Thought, 
but  yet  neither  doth  he  attend  to  them  there,  un- 
H  H  h  lefs 


44*      AkgeLic  Wisdom  ^c^ncernutg? 

kfs  he  Itnoweth  well  that  they  are  Evik,  But  of 
this,  more  in  what  now  follows.  FotiRTKLY  :  That 
Abdu3ian  '0r-'DeIivcTan<:e  from  Evil  is  efeBed  of  the 
Lord  bj  d  ihoufand  moff.  fieret  Means,  Of  thefe 
fbine  few  only  have  b'een  difcovered  to'  me,  and 
thefe  only  of  a  genet 2^1  Netute,  which  are^  that  the 
Delights  of  G^^/ficupifcenees^  of  which  i^  Maa  know- 
tih  Nothing,  z.t€  emitted  in  Comp^fties'  arrd  m  Faf- 
cicies  (Bimdles)  into  his  interior  Thoughts,  which 
are  thofe  of  his  Spirit^  and  from  then(!:e  into  his 
exterior  Thoughts,  in  whrch  they  make  their  Ap^ 
pearance  under  fome  Senfe  of  Plcafure,  Satisfadion, 
6r  Cupidity,  and  are  there  intermixed  wifh  his  nat-* 
ural  and  fenfual  Delights  ;  it  is  here  that  thd 
Means  of  S"epatatian  and  Purilieation  are,  and  alia 
mt  Ways  of  Abdii£^ioa  and  Exoneration  :  Thefe 
Means  aTs  principally  the  Delights  of  Meditation:,- 
Thought,  and  Refleclion  for  the  S^a'ke  of  certain 
Ends,  which  ctre  of  Ufe,  and  Ends  which  are  of 
Ufe  are  as-  muny  m  Number  as  the  Particulars  and 
Singulars  of  any  one's  Bufmefs  and  Fundion  ;  and 
alfo  as  many  in  Number,  as  there  are  Delights  of 
Reflection,  to  the  End  that  he  may  appear  as  » 
civil  and  moral,  and  alfo  as  a  fpiritual  Man,  befides 
the  tmdelightfult  Things  which  interpofe  ;  thefe 
Delights^  forafmirch  as  they  are  of  his  Love  in  the 
external  Man,  are  the  Means  of  Separation,  Purifi- 
cation, Excretion,  and  Abduction  of  the  Delight^j 
cf  the  Goneupifce^ces  of  Evil  of  the  internal  Man. 
Take  for  Example  an  iinjuO:  Judge,  who  has  Inter- 
eft  and  Connexions  of  Friendfhip  in  View,  as  the 
£nds  or  Ufes  of  his  Fundion  ;  interiorly  he  is  con- 
tinually in  thof^  Ends,  but  exteriorly  his  View  is  to 

aft  , 


The  Divine  Providence,        44^ 

jjift  like  a  fkiUul  Lawyer  aofl.^  juft  Man  ;  he  is  coa- 
linuaiiy  in  the  Delight  of  meditating,  thinking,  re.. 
f.ed:ing^  ^nd  intending,,  how  to  beod  ;;^hat  is  right, 
to  turn,  %d?cpt,  and  ac^ommodaie  it,  fo  that  it  may 
feeni  jconfprmabje  to  the  Laws,  and  confiftent  wiih 
J ufl-ice  ^    neither  doth  he  know  that  bis  , internal 
JQclight  ponfifts  of  Cunning,  Fraud,  De.eeit,  claa- 
d^dine  TJieRs,  and  many  other  ThingSs,  ^nd  that 
this  Delight,  compounded  of  lo  many  Pelight;?  of 
Concupifcences  of  Evil,  rules  in  the  whole  and  ii^ 
every  Particular  of  his  external  Thought,  in  which 
pxift  the  l)elight?  of  the  Appearance  that  he  is  juft 
and  fincere:;  the  internal  Delights  are  let  down  in» 
to  thefe  external  Delights,  ^nd  mixed  like  Food  ig 
the  Stomach,  and  there  they  are  feparated,  purified, 
^nd  drawn  pflFj  but  this  is  the  Cafe  only  with  the 
more  grievous  Delights  of  the  Concijpifceaces  of  Ej. 
yil ;  for  in  ^  wicked  iV'lan  there  takes  Place  uq  oth- 
er Separation,  Purification,  and  Removal,  but  that 
of  more   grievous  Evils   from   the  lefs  grievous, 
whereas  in  a  good  Man  there  takes  Place  a  Separa- 
tion, Purihcaticn,  and  Removal,  not  only  of  more 
grievcms  Evils,  but  alfo  of  the  lefs   grievous,  and 
this  is  efFeded  by  the  Delights  of  the  Affection^  of 
Goodjiefs  and  TT^th,  and  of  J.uftice  and  Sincerity, 
into  which  he  enters  in  Proportion  as  he  confiders 
Evils  as  Sins,  and  therefore  fliuns  and  hokls  them 
in  Averfion,  and  ilill  more  if  hp  fights   againfl 
them.     Thefe  aire  the  Means,  by  wWch  the  Lord 
purifies  all   who   are  faved ;    he  alfo  purifies   the 
fame   by  external   Means    which    have  refpe6t  to 
Fame  and  Honour,  and  fometimes  to  interell ;  but 
neverthelefs  into  thefe  are  inferted  by  the  Lord  De- 
lights 


444    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

lights  of  the  AfTedions  of  Goodnefs  and  Truth,  by 
which  they  are  fo  directed  and  adapted  as  to  become 
©elights  of  neighbourly  Love,  If  any  one  were  to 
fee  the  Delights  of  the  Concupifcences  of  Evil  to- 
gether, in  any  Form,  or  were  to  perceive  them  dif- 
litidtly  with  any  Senfe,  •  he'  would  fee  and  perceive 
them  in'fuch  Number,  that  they  could  riot  be  dcr 
.fined  ;  .for  the  Whole  of  Hell  is  Nothing  but  the 
Form  of  2ill  the  Conciipifcences  of  Evil,  and  no 
Concupifcence  of  Evil  there,  is  altogether  fimllar 
or  the  fame  with  any  other,  neither  can  there  exifi: 
one  exadly  like  another,  or  the  fame  with  it,  to  all 
'Eternity  ;  and  of  thefe  innumerable  Concupifcences 
'Man  fcarcelv  knoweth  any  Thing,  nluch  lefs  how 
they  are  conneded  ;  and  yet  it  is  permitted  of  the 
Lord,  by  his  Divine  Providence  continually,  that 
they  fhould  come  forth,  to  the  End  that  they  may 
be  drawn  off,  which  is  done  in  all  Order  and  Se- 
ries ;  for  a  wicked  Man  is  Hell  in  its  leaft  Form, 
BS  a  good  Man  is  Heaven  in  its  leaft  Form.  That 
Abduction  or  Deliverance  from  Evils  is  effected 
of'  the  Lord  by  a  thoufahd  moft  fecret  Means^ 
cannot  better  be  feen,  and  thereby  concluded,  than 
from  the  fecret  Operations  of  the  Soul  in  the  Body  j 
thofe  with  which  Man  is  acquainted  are  the  follow- 
ing 5  with  Refpe<5l  to  the  Food  he  is  to  eat,  he 
fees  it  or  looks  at  it.  fmells  it,  hath  an  Appetite  for 
it,  taftes  it,  chevv-s  it  with  his  Teeth,  turns  it  about 
v/ith  his  Tongue,  fwallows  it  thus  down  into  the 
Stomach,  and  fo  into  the  Belly ;  but  the  fecret 
Operations  of  the  Soul  with  which  Man  is  unac- 
quainted, becaufe  he  doth  not  perceive  them,  are 
the  following  5 '  the  Stomach  turns  about  the  Food 

it 


^*^'  Tni  "Divine'  PROviDENeHJ'-      445 

h  has  received,  by^Means  of  its  folvent  Li-quor  opens 
and  feparates^  ks  Parts,  that  is,  digelts  it,  and  pre- 
fents  fucii  as  is  properly  prepared  to  the  Mouths  of 
the  VefTels  which  open  into' the  Inteflines,  which 
drink  it  up  ;  it  alfo  didributes  and  fends  fome 
Parts  into  the  Blood,  feme  into  the  lymphatic 
Vedels,  fome  into  the  la(^eal  Veflels  of  tl>e  Mefcnte- 
fy,  and  conveys  fome  down  the  Inteftines';  after- 
wards the  Chyle,  which  is  drawn  through  the  Yef- 
fels  of  "th^  Mefentary  into  its  Receptacle,  is  convey- 
ed through  the  thoracic  Du£l  into  the  Vena  Cava, 
and  fo  into  the  Heart,  and  from  the  Heart  into  the 
Lungs,  and  from  thence  through  the  left  Ventricle 
of  the  Heart  into  the  Aorta,  and  from  the  Aorta  by 
itk  different  Ramifications-  into  the  -Vifcera  of  the 
whole  Body,  and  alfo  into  the  Kidneys,  in  each  of 
which  there  is  a  Separation  and  Purification  of  the 
Blood,,  and  a  Removal  of  heterogeneous  Parts;  not 
to  'meniion  how  the  Heart  didributes  its  Blood  to 
the  Brain  after  it  has  been  purilied  in  the  Lungs^ 
which  is  done  by  the  Arteries  which  are  called  Ca- 
rotids, and  how  the  Brain  returns  the  Blood  vivified 
into  the  above-mentioned  Vena  Cava,  into  which 
the  thoracic  Duel  empties  the  Chyle,  and  fo  again  to 
the  Heart.  Thefe,  befides  innumerable  others,  are 
the  fecret  Operations  of  the  Soul  in  the  Body  ; 
Man  perceives  Nothing  of  thefe,  and  he  who  is  not 
(killed  in  Anatomy  knows  Nothing  of  them ;  and 
yet  fmiilar  Things  are  done  in  the  Interiors  of  the 
Mind  of  Man,  for  Nothing  can  be  done  in  the 
Body,  except  from  the  Mind,  inai'much  as  the  Mind 
of  Man  is  his  Spirit,  and  his  Spirit  is  equally  a  Man, 
with  this  only  Difference,  that  the  Things  which  are 

done 


446    Ai^GELic  Wisdom  eoNCEiiNiKg 

done  .in  the  Body,  are  done  natarallyj  and  ths 
Things  which  are  done  in  the  Mind,  are  dpne  fpir^ 
itually,  there  is  a  perfeQ:  Similitude,  Hence  it  is  ev« 
ident,  that  the  Divine  Providence  operates  a  thcii^ 
fand  hidden  Ways  irv  every  Man,  and  th^t^its  En4 
is  continiiaily  to  purify  hiiDj,  becaiife  its  ii^d  is  t<^ 
fjve  him,  and  that  Nothing  more  is  incunibent  up* 
on  Man,  but  to  remove  Eyjls  in  the  external-  Man  v 
the  reft  the  Lord  provideth,  if  b|2  be  iniplpred. 

297.  ,111,  That  the  J¥ipkcd  cannot  he renppely  led 
out  of  Evils'  by  the  Lord^  and  led  into  Gm{Ij^^  f^l^M  H 
they  think  felpderived  Intelligence  is  MK:  ^^4l  *^!?  -I^^^. 
vine  Pf'ppidenfe  Nothing,  it  appears  a^;if;]VJ.anxoU4 
kad  himfelf  out  of  Eviis^  if  he  v/ould  but  think  that 
this  or  that  15  contrary  to. the  Good  of.th^/C.oipi^iUri 
nity, jGontrary  to  Utihty,  and  contriiiry  tQ  tte  Law^ 
of ;  hk  >  CoTjntry  and  the  Law  of  Nations  j  thjs  a 
wicked  Man, can  do  as  well  as  a  good  Man,  provide 
ed  he  be  fuch  by  Birth,  or  from  the  Exercife  of  hi$ 
Faculties,  as  to  be  able  to  think  within  himfelf  ansr^^ 
lytically  and  rationally  in  a  diftind  Manner  5  but 
itill  he  is  not  able  to  draw  himfelf  out  of  Evil^  th^ 
Reafon  is,  becaufe  the  Faculty  of  under ]landi:3:g  and, 
perceiving  1  hings  even,  abftradly  is  given  of  th^ 
Lord  to  every  one,  as  well  the  Wicked  as  the  Good, 
as  hath  been  ihewn  in  many  Places  above  j  but  ftill 
Man  by  Means  of  this  Faculty  cannot  draw  himfelf 
out  of  Evil  ;  for  Evil  is  of  the  WiD,  and  the  Un- 
derftanding  doth  not  flow  into  the  Will  except  with 
Light  only,  and  illuminates  and  teaches,  and  if  the. 
Heat  of  the  Will,  that  is,  the  Life's  Love  of  Man, 
is  fervid  from  the  ConcUpifccnce  of  Evil,  it  is  theiv 
frigid  or  cold  as  to  the  Affection  of  Good,  where- 
fore 


Th2  Divine  PuoviIjencs.        447 

fore  it  doth  not  receive  Light,'  but  either  rejeds  or 
extinguidies  it,  or  by  Ibine  invented  falfe  Principle 
converts  it  into  Evil  ;  the  Cafe  is  herein  as  uith 
the  Light  of"  Winter,  ^vhich  is  equally  as  clear  as 
the  Light  of  Suminef,  and  which  flowing  into  cold 
Trees  produces  a  finiilar  EfFed  with  fpiritual  Light 
•^hen  the  Will  is  cold  :  But  thcfc  Things  will  be 
feeii  more  fully  in  the  following  Order,  i.  I'hat 
felf-derivcd  Intelligence,  when  the  Will  is  in  Evil^ 
feeth  Nothing  but  what  is  falfe,  and  that  it  neither 
will  nor  can  fee  any  Thing  elfc.  2,  That  if  ft'lf- 
derived  Intelligence  then  feeth  Truth,  it  turns  Itfclf 
away,  or  faUifies  it.  3.  That  the  Divine  Provi* 
dence  continually  canfeth  Man  to  fee  Truth,  and 
alfo  giveth  him  the  Atfedicn  of  perceiving  it,  and 
moreover  of  receiving  it.  4.  That  thereby  Man 
is  draivn  out  of  Evil,  not  of  l^imfelf,  but  of  the 
Lord. 

298.  But  thefe  Propofitions  fliall  be  explained  in 
their  proper  Order  to  the  rational  Man,  whether 
he  be  v/icked  or  good,  therefore  whether  he  be  in 
the  Light  of  W^inter,  or  in  the  Light  of  Summer, 
for  Colonic  appear  alike  in  both.  First  :  That 
fe  If 'derived  IntelUgence^  10  ben  the  Mill  is  in  Evil ^  feci  h 
Nothing  but  u-hat  is  falfe ^  and  thai  it  neither  will  nor 
can  fee  any  Thijig  elfe  :  This  hath  often  been  exper- 
imentally {hewn  in  the  fpiritual  World  :  Every 
Man,  when  he  becomes  a  Spirit,  which  he  does  after 
Death,  (for  he  then  puts  off  his  material  Body,  and 
puts  on  a  fpiritual  Body,)  is  alternately  let  into  the 
two  States  of  his  Life,  the  external  and  the  inter- 
nal ;  when  he  is  in  the  external  State,  lie  fpeak* 
and  alfo  ads  rationally  and  wifely,  juft  like  a  ra-* 

tional 


44S     Angelic  Wisdqm  concerning 

tional  and:  wife  Man  in  the  Worlds  and  morcovef 
can  teach  others  many  Thmgs  which  relate  to  mo* 
ral  ^nd  civil  Lite  ;  and  if  he  had  been  a  Preacher, 
he  can  alio  teach  Things  relating  to  fpiritual  Life  ; 
but  when  he  is  let  out  of  this  into  his  internal  State, 
and  the  External  is  laid  afleep,  and  the  Internal  is 
awakened,  then,  if  he  is  wicked,  the  Scene  is  chan- 
ged; inftead  of  rational,  he  becomes  fenfual,  and 
indead  of  wife,  infane  ;  for  he  thinks  then  from  the 
Evil  of  his  Will  and  its  Delight,  therefore  from 
felf-derived  Intelligence,  and  feeth  Nothing  but 
what  is  Falfe,  and  doeth  Nothing  but  Evil,  thinking 
that  Malice  is  Wifdom,  and  that  Cunning  is  Pru- 
dence, and  from  klf-derived  Intelligence  he  fancies 
hirafelf  a  God,  and  imbibes  with  all  his  Soul  the 
moil  wicked  Arts  :  Such  Infanity  I  have  often  feen  ; 
and  have  alio  feen  Spirits  let  into  thefe  alternate 
States  two  or  three  Times  in  an  Hour,  and  then  it 
was  given  them  to  fee  their  Infanities,  and  alfo  to 
acknowledge  them,  but  yet  they  would  not  remain 
in  their  rational  and  moral  State,  but  turned  them- 
felves  of  their  own  Accord  to  their  internal,  fenfual, 
and  infane  State,  for  this  they  loved  more  than  the 
other,  becaufe  therein  confiued  the  Delight  of  their 
Life's  Love.  From  this  Experience  alone  it  may 
appear,  what  the  Nature  of  felf-derived  Intelligenc-e 
is,  when  it  thinks  and  ads  from  the  Evil  of  its  WilL 
The  Cafe  is  different  with  the  Good,  when  they  are 
let  into  an  internal  State  from  an  external,  they  be- 
come (till  more  wife  and  moral  than  before.  Sec- 
ondly :  That  if  felf-derrced  Intelligence  then  fee; 
Truths  it  either  turns  it/elf  away^  orfaljijies  it,  Man 
hath  a  voluntary  Proprium  and  an  intellectual  Pro- 

prium. 


The  Divine  Providence.         449 

fjnum,  his  voluntary  Proprium  is  Evil,  and  his  intel- 
lectual Proprium  is  the  Falfe  Principle  derived  from 
that  Evil ;  the  latter  is  meant  by  the  Will  of  Man, 
and  the  former  by  the  Will  of  the  Flefli,  John  i.  13. 
The  voluntary  Proprium  in  its  ElTence  is  Self-Love, 
and  the  intelledlual  Proprium  is  Pride  proceeding 
from  that  Love  ;  thefe  two  are  like  two  connubial 
Partners,  and  their  Marriage  is  called  the  Marriage 
of  Evil  and  the  Falfe  ;  every  evil  Spirit  is  let  into 
this  Marriage,  before  he  is  admitted  into  Hell,  and 
when  he  is  fo,  he  doth  not  know  what  Good  is,  for 
he  calleth  his  ov;n  Evil  Good,  inafmuch  as  he  feel- 
eth  it  as  his  Delight ;  and  moreover  then  he  turn- 
eth  himfelf  away  from  Truth,  neither  will  he  fee  it, 
becaufe  the  falfe  Principle  agreeing  with  his  Evil  is 
feen  by  him,  as  beautiful  Objects  are  by  the  Eye, 
and  is  heard  by  him  as  harmonious  Sounds  are  by 
the  Ear.      Thirdly  :    Tbat  the  Divine  Providence 
continually  caiifeth  Man  io  fee  Truths  and  alfo  giveth 
him  the  AJI'edion  of  perceiving  and  receiving  it.     The 
Reafon  of  this  is,  becaufe  the  Divine  Providence 
ads  from  within,  and  flows  thence  into  rhe  Exteriors, 
or  it  a£ls  from  the  fpiritual  Man  upon  the  Things 
which  are  in  the  natural  Man,  and  by  the  Light  of 
Heaven  illuminates  his  Underflanding,  and  by  the 
Heat  of  Heaven  vivifies  his  Will  ;    the  Light  of 
Heaven  in  its  EiTence  is  Divine  Wifdom,  and  the 
Heat   of  Heaven  in  its  Effence  is  Divine   Love, 
and  from  Divine  Wifdom  Nothing  elfe  can  flow  but 
Truth,  and  from  Divine  Love  Nothing  elfe  can  fiow 
but  Good,  and  from  this  the  Lord  giveth  in  the 
Underftanding  the  Afteclion  of  feeing  T'uth,  and 
alfo  of  pcrceivin;r  and  receiving  it  :   Thus  Man  is 
I  I  i  ma(]e 


45*0    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

made  a  Man,  not  only  as  to  his  external  Face,  bat 
alfo  as  to  his  internal.  Who  doth  not  wifh  to 
feem  a  rational  and  fpiritual  Man ;  and  who  doth 
not  know  that  he  wifheth  to  feem  fo,  in  Order  that 
he  may  be  though^  by  others  to  be  a  true  Man  ?  If 
thtrefore  he  is  only  rational  and  fpiritual  in  his  ex- 
ternal Form,  and  not  at  the  fame  Time  in  his  inter- 
nal, can  he  be  faid  to  be  otherwife  than  like  a  Player 
upon  the  Stage,  or  like  an  Ape  whofe  Face  nearly 
refembles  the  human  ?  May  he  not  know  from 
thence  that  he  alone  is  a  Man,  who  interiorly  is 
fuch,  as  he  defireth  to  be  thought  by  others ;  he 
who  acknowledges  one,  acknowledges  the  other. 
Self-derived  Intelligence  can  opjy  induce  the  human 
Form  in  Enternah,  but  the  Divine  Providence  in- 
duces that  Form  in  Internals,  and  through  Internals 
in  External^)  and  when  this  is  induced,  Man  does 
not  barely  appear  to  be  Man,  but  is  Man.  Fourth- 
ly :  That  Man  is  thereby  drawn  out  of  Evils ^  not  of 
himfelf^  but  of  the  Lord,  The  Reafon  why,  when 
the  Divine  Providence  gives  to  fee  Truth,  and  at 
the  fame  Time  the  AfFedion  thereof,  Man  can  be 
drawn  out  of  Evil,  is,  becaufe  Truth  fhews  and  dic- 
tates, and  when  the  Will  does  it,  it  joins  itfelf  there- 
vvdth,  and  in  itfelf  converts  Truth  into  Good,  for 
Truth  in  this  Cafe  becomes  the  Truth  of  Man'3 
Love,  and  that  which  is  of  the  Love,  the  fame  is 
Good  :  All  Reformation  is  effeded  by  Truth,  and 
not  without  it,  for  without  Truth  the  Will  is  con- 
tinually in  its  Evil,  and  if  it  confults  the  Under- 
(landing,  it  is  not  inilruCled,  but  Evil  is  confirmed 
by  Falfes.  As  to  what  relates  to  Intelligence,  it 
appears  as  well  in  a  good  Man  as  in  a  wicked  Man 

to 


Thb  Divine  Providence.         451 

to  be  his  own,  and  moreover  a  good  Man  is  obliged, 
as  well  as  a  wicked  Man,  to  a6l  from  Intelligence 
feemingly  proper  to  himfelf ;  yet  he  who  believes 
in -the  Divine  Providence,  is  withdrawn  from  Evil, 
JDUt  he  who  doth  not  believe,  is  not  withdrawn  ; 
and  he  believes  in  it,  who  acknowledgeth  Evil  to 
be  Sin,  and  defireth  to  be  delivered  from  it ;  and 
he  doth  not  believe  it,  who  doth  not  acknowledge 
and  defire  this :  The  Difference  between  thefe  twq 
Kinds  of  Intelligence  is  like  the  Difference  between 
that  which  is  thought  to  exift:  in  itfelf,  and  that 
which  is  thought  not  to  exift  in  itfelf,  but  ftill  as 
in  itfelf;  and  it  is  alfo  like  the  Difference  between 
an  External  without  a  correfpondent  Internal,  and 
an  External  with  a  correfpondent  Internal  ;  confe- 
quently  Hke  the  Ditlerence  between  the  Words  and 
Geftures  of  Mimics  and  Players^  who  perfonate 
Kings,  Princes,  and  Generals,  and  the  Kings,  Prin- 
ces, and  Generals  themfelves ;  the  latter  are  interi- 
orly as  well  as  exteriorly  fuch,  the  former  only  ex- 
teriorly, which  Exterior  when  it  is  put  off,  they  are 
called  Comedians,  Adors,  and  Players, 

299.  IV.  That  the  Lord  governs  Hell  by  Oppofites^ 
and  that  the  Wicked^  who  are  in  the  Worlds  he  gov- 
erns in  Hell  as  to  Interiors,  but  not  as  to  Exteriors, 
He  who  doth  not  know  the  Nature  of  Heaven  and 
of  Hell,  cannot  at  all  know  the  Nature  of  Man's 
Mind,  the  Mind  of  Man  being  his  Spirit  which  lives 
after  Death  ;  the  Reafon  is,  becaufe  the  Mind  or 
Spirit  of  Man,  in  all  the  Particulars  of  its  Form,  is 
fimilar  to  that  of  Heaven  or  Hell ;  there  is  no  Dif- 
ference, except  that  one  is  great,  and  the  other  is 
^mall,  or  that  one  is  an  Image,  and  the  other  its 

Type  j 


452     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Type  ;  wherefore  Man,  as  to  his  Mind  or  Spirit,  is 
either  a  Heaven  or  a  Hell  in  its  leafl  Form,  he  is  a 
Heaven  who  is  led  of  the  Lord,  and  he  is  a  Hell 
ivho  is  led  of  his  own  Proprium.  Now  forafmuch 
as  it  hath  been  given  me  to  know  the  Nature  both 
of  Heaven  and  Hell,  and  it  is  of  Importance  to 
know  what  the  Nature  of  Man  is  with  Refpecl  to 
his  Mind  or  Spirit,  I  will  briefly  give  a  Defcription 
of  both, 

3C0.  All  who  are  in  Heaven,  are  Nothing  but 
Affedions  of  Good  and  thence  Thoughts  of  Truth  ; 
and  all  who  are  in  Hell,  are  Nothing  but  Concupi- 
fcences  of  Evil  and  thence  Imaginations  of  what  is 
Falfe  ;  and  thefe  are  fo  arranged  on  both  Sides,  that 
the  Concupifcences  of  Evil  and  the  Imaginations  of 
what  is  Falfe  in  Hell,  are  diredly  oppofite  to  the 
Aiiedions  of  Good  and  the  Thoughts  of  Truth  in 
Heaven,  wherefore  Hell  is  under  Heaven,  and  dia- 
metrically oppofite  to  it,  as  much  fo  as  two  Men 
who  lie  oppolite  to  each  other,  or  ftand  oppofite  as 
Antipodes,  confequently  inverted,  with  the  Soles  of 
their  Feet  placed  againft  each  other,  and  (landing 
each  upon  the  Heels  of  the  other  ;  fometimes  alfo 
Hell  appears  in  fuch  a  Situation,  or  thus  turned, 
with  Refped  to  Heaven  :  The  Reafon  is,  becaufe 
they  who  are  in  Hell  make  the  Concupifcences  of 
Evil  their  Head,  and  the  Affedions  of  Good  their 
F'^eet,  but  they  who  are  in  Heaven,  make  the  Affec- 
tions of  Good  their  Flead,  and  the  Concupifcences 
of  Evil  the  Soles  of  their  Feet ;  lience  their  mutual 
Oppofition.  It  is  faid  that  in  Heaven  there  are 
AHJedious  of  Good  and  thence  Thoughts  of  Truth, 
aud  tliat  in  FIcU  there  arc  Concupifcences  of  Evi'i 

and 


The  Divine  Providence.         453 

and  thence  Imaginations  of  the  Falfe,  and  it  is  meant 
that  there  are  Spirits  and  Angels  who  are  fuch,  for 
every  one  is  his  own  Affedion  or  his  own  Concu- 
pifcence,  the  Angel  of  Heaven  is  his  own  Affec- 
tion, and  the  Spirit  of  Hell  is  his  own  Concupi- 
scence. 

301.  The  Reafon  why  the  Angels  of  Heaven  are 
Affections  of  Good  and  thence  Thoughts  of  Truth, 
is,  becaufe  they  are  Recipients  of  Divine  Love  and 
Divine  Wifdom  from  the  Lord,  and  all  Affedions 
of  Good  are  from  Divine  Love,  and  all  Thoughts 
of  Truth  are  from  Divine  Wifdom  :  But  the  Rea- 
fon why  the  Spirits  of  Hell  are  Concupifcences  of 
Evil  and  thence  Imaginations  of  the  Falfe,  is,  be- 
caufe they  are  in  the  Love  of  Self  and  in  felf-derived 
Intelligence,  and  all  Concupifcences  of  Evil  are  from 
the  Love  of  Self,  and  Imaginations  of  the  Falfe  are 
from  felf-derived  Intelligence. 

302.  The  Ordination  or  Arrangement  of  Affec- 
tions in  Heaven,  and  of  Concupifcences  in  Hell,  is 
wonderful,  and  known  only  to  the  Lord  ;  they  are 
on  both  Sides  diftinguiffied  into  Genera  and  Spe- 
cies, and  fo  conjoined  or  conneded  as  to  a6l  as  one  ; 
and  forafrauch  as  they  are  diftinguifhed  into  Genera 
and  Species,  they  are  ciiftinguifficd  into  greater  or 
leffer  Societies ;  and  forafmuch  as  they  are  conjoin- 
ed that  they  may  act  as  one,  they  are  conjoined  like 
all  the  Tilings  that  are  in  a  Man  ;  hence  Heaven  in 
its  Form  is  hke  a  beautiful  Man,  whofe  Soul  is  the 
Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wifdom,  therefore  the 
Lord  ;  and  I  Tell  in  its  Form  is  like  a  Monfler, 
whole  Soul  is  Self-Love  and  felf-derived  Intelli- 
gence, therefore  the  Devil  j   for  there  is  not  any 

particular 


^54    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

particular  Devil,  who  is  fole  Lord  there,  but  Self- 
Love  is  fo  called. 

303.  But  that  the  Nature  of  Heaven  and  Hel| 
may  be  flill  better  underflood,  inflead  of  the  AfFec- 
lions  of  Good  take  the  Delights  of  Good,  and  in- 
{lead  of  the  Concupifcences  of  Evil  take  the  De- 
lights of  Evil,  for  there  doth  not  exift  any  Affedion 
or  Concupifcence  without  its  Delights,  inafmuch  as 
Delights  conflitute  the  Life  of  every  one  y  thefe 
Delights  are  didinguilhed  and  connected,  as  was 
faid  above  of  the  Affedions  of  Good  and  the  Con- 
cupifcences of  Evil  :  The  Delight  of  his  Afledion 
fills  and  encompafles  every  Angel  of  Heaven  ;  and 
moreover  their  common  Delight  fills  and  encom- 
paffes  every  Society  of  Heaven  ;  and  the  Delight  of 
all  together,  or  that  which  is  mod  general,  fills  and 
encompafles  the  univerfal  Heaven  :  In  like  Manner, 
the  Delight  of  his  Concupifcence  fills  and  encom- 
pafles every  Spirit  of  Hell  ;  and  its  common  De- 
light every  Society  of  Hell ;  and  the  Delight  of  all^ 
or  that  which  is  general,  the  Whole  of  Hell.  Inaf- 
much as  the  Affections  of  Heaven,  and  the  Concu- 
pifcences of  Hell,  are,  as  was  obferved  above,  dia- 
metrically oppofite  to  each  other,  it  is  evident  that 
the  Delight  of  Heaven  is  io  undelightful  or  difa- 
greeable  in  Hell,  that  they  cannot  fupport  it,  and 
on  the  other  Hand,  that  the  Delight  of  Hell  is  fo 
undelightful  or  difagreeable  in  Heaven,  that  neither 
can  they  fupport  it ;  hence  proceeds  their  mutual 
Antipathy,  Averfion,  and  Separation. 

7,04.  Thefe  Delights,  inafmuch  as  they  confliitute. 
the  Life  of  each  Individual  in  particular,  and  of  the 
Community  in  general,  are  not  ielt  by  thofe  whq 

are 


The  Divine  Providence.        455 

^re  in  them,  but  their  Oppofites  are  felt  when  they 
approach,  efpecially  when  they  are  turned  into 
Smells,  for  every  Delight  correfponds  to  fome  Smell, 
and  in  the  fpiritual  World  may  be  turned  into  it  t, 
and  then  the  Delight  of  Heaven  in  general  is  felt 
like  the  Smell  of  a  Garden,  with  fome  Variety  ac- 
cording to  the  Fragrancies  arifing  therein  from 
tlowers  and  Fruits  ;  and  the  Delight  of  Hell  in 
general  is  felt  like  ftagnant  Water,  into  which  have 
been  caft  divers  Kinds  of  Filth,  with  fome  Variety 
according  to  the  Stench  of  Things  putrid  and  ofFen- 
five  therein.  In  what  Manner  the  Delight  of  each 
Jjarticular  AfFe6lion  of  Good  in  Heaven^,  and  of  each 
particular  Concupifcence  of  Evil  in  Hell,  is  felt^ 
hath  been  given  to  know,  but  it  would  be  prolix 
to  explain  it  here. 

305.  I  have  heard  many  New*Comers  from  the 
World  complain,  that  they  did  not  know  that  their 
Lot  would  be  according  to  the  AfFe61;ions  of  their 
Love  ;  faying,  that  in  the  World  they  did  not  think 
of  them,  much  lefs  of  the  Delights  thereof,  becatife 
they  loved  that  which  was  delightful  to  them  ;  and 
that  they  only  thought,  that  the  Lot  of  every  one 
would  be  according  to  his  Thought  grounded  in  In- 
telligence, efpecially  according  to  Thoughts  ground- 
ed in  Piety,  and  likewife  in  Faith  :  But  it  was  given 
them  for  Anfwer,  that  they  might  have  known,  if 
they  would,  that  a  Life  of  Evil  is  difagreeable  to 
Heaven  and  difpleafmg  to  God,  and  that  it  is  plea* 
fmg  to  Hell  and  delightful  to  the  Devil  ;  and  on 
the  other  Hand,  that  Good  of  Life  is  grateful  to 
Heaven  and  pleafmg  to  God,  and  unpleafant  to 
Hell  and  difagreeable  to  the  Devil,  and  therefore 

that 


4j6    Angelic  Wisdom  concerninq 

that  Evil  in  itfelf  is  offenfive,  and  Good  is  fragrant : 
And  fince  they  might  have  known  this  if  they 
would,  why  did  not  they  fhun  Evils  as  infernal  and 
diabolical,  and  w^hy  did  they  favour  Evils  merely 
becaufe  they  were  delightful  ?  And  fince  they  now 
know  that  the  Delights  of  Evil  have  an  offenfive 
Smell,  they  might  alfo  know  that  fuch  in  whom 
they  abound  cannot  enter  into  Heaven.  After  this 
Anfwer,  they  betook  themfelves  to  thofe  who  were 
in  fimilar  Delights,  for  there,  and  no  where  elfe, 
could  they  breathe. 

306.  From  the  Idea  which  has  now  been  given 
of  Heaven  and  Hell,  it  may  appear  what  the  Nature 
of  the  Mind  of  Man  is,  (for,  as  hath  been  faid,  the 
Mind  or  Spirit  of  Man  is  a  Heaven  or  a  Hell  in  its 
lead  Form,)  namely,  that  his  Interiors  are  mere 
Afre6lions  and  Thoughts  derived  therefrom,  divided 
into  Genera  and  Species,  like  greater  and  leffer  Soci- 
eties, and  fo  connected  as  to  act  as  one  ;  and  that 
the  Lord  rules  thofe  Afieclions  and  Thoughts,  in 
like  Manner  as  he  rules  Heaven  or  Elell.  That 
Man  is  either  a  Heaven  or  a  Hell  in  its  lead  Form, 
may  be  fcen  in  the  Work  concerning  Heaven 
AND  Hell,  publijQied  in  London,  Anno  1758, 
n.  51  to  87. 

307.  Now  to  the  Point  In  Queftion,  that  the 
Lord  governs  Hell  by  Oppofites,  and  that  the  Wick- 
ed, who  are  in  the  World,  are  governed  by  Him  In 
Hell,  as  to  Interiors,  but'  not  as  to  Exteriors.  As  to 
what  relates.  First,  To  the  Lord's  govemijig  Hell 
by  Oppofites  ;  it  is  fhewn  above,  n.  288,  289,  that 
the  Angels  of  Heaven  are  not  in  Love  and  Wifdom, 
or  in  the  Aifectlon  of  Good  and  thence  in  the 

Thought 


The  Divine  Providence.         457 

thought  of  Truth  from  themfelves,  but  n-om  the 
Lord  ;   and  that  Good  and  Truth  flow  from  Heav- 
en into  Hell,  and  that  therefore  Good  is  turned  into 
Evil,  and  Truth  into  what  is  Falfe,  by  Reafon  that 
the  Interiors  of  their  Minds  are  turned  in  «i  contrary 
Direction  :  Now  fnice  all  Things  in  Hell  are  oppo- 
fite  to  all  Things  in  Heaven,  it  follows,  that  the 
Lord  governs  Hell  by  OppofiteSi    Secondly  :  That 
the  Wicked^  who  are  jn  the  Worlds  are  goveriied  i/i 
Hell  by  the  Lord  ;  the  Reafon  is,  becaufe  Man  with 
Refped  to  his  Spirit  is  in  .the  fpiritual  Vv  orld,  and 
there  in  fome  Society,  in  an  infernal  Society  if  he  is 
wicked,  and  in  a  celeftial  Society  if  good  -,  for  the 
Mind  of  Man,  which  in  itfelf  is  fpiritual,  cannot  be  any 
where  but  among  Spirits,  into  whofe  Society  it  comes 
alfo  after  Death  ;  that  this  is  the  Cafe,  hath  alfo  been 
faid  and  ihewn  above.    But  Man  is  not  there  like  one 
of  the  Spirits  who  is  infcribed  into  the  Society,  for 
Man  is  continually  in  a  State  of  Reformation,  where- 
fore according  to  his  Life  and  the  Changes  thereof, he 
is  tranllated  by  the  Lord  from  one  Society  of  Hell 
to  another,  if  he  is  wicked  ;  but  if  he  fuffers  him- 
felf  to  be  reformeJ,  he  is  led  out  of  Hell  and  intro- 
duced into  Heaven,  and  there  alfo  he  is  tranllated 
from  one  Society  to  another,  and  this  until  the 
Time  of  his  Death,  after  which  he  is  no  longer 
carried  from  one  Society  to  another,  becaufe  he  is 
then  no  longer  in  any  State  of  Reformation,  but 
remains  in  that  in  Vv'hich  he  is  according  to  his 
Life  ;  wherefore  when  a  Man  dies,  he  is  infcribed 
in  his  ov/n  Place.     Thirdly  :   That  the  Lord  thus 
governs  the  Wicked  in  the  World  as  to  their  Interiors^ 
but  differently  as  to  their  Exteriors  :   The  Lord  gov- 
K  K  k  ems 


458      Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

erns  the  Interiors  of  the  Mind  of  Man,  m  the  Man- 
ner }v\(l  defciihed,  but  its  Exteriors  he  governs  in  the 
World  of  Spirits,  which  is  in  the  Midfh  between 
Heaven  and  Hell ;'  the  Reafon  is,  becaufe  Man  for 
the  mod  Part  is  different  in  Extei'nals  from  what  he 
is  in  Internals ;  for  in  Externals  he  can  fimulate  an 
Angel  of  L'^^htj  and  yet  in  Internals  be  a  Spirit  of 
Darknefs,  wherefore  his  External  is  governed  one 
Way,  artd  his  Internal  another;  his  External  is 
governed  in  the  World  of  Spirits,  but  his  Internal 
in  Heaven  of  in  Hell,  fo  long  as  he  is  in  the  World ; 
wherefore  alfo,  when  he  dies,  he  comes  firlt  into 
the  World  of  Spirits,  and  there  into  his  External, 
which  External  is  there  put  off,  and  this  being  put 
off,  he  is  transferred  to  his  Place  in  which  he  is 
infcribed.  What  the  World  of  Spirits  is,  may  be 
feen  in  the  Work  concerning  Heaven  and  Hell, 
published  in  London,  Anno  1758,  n.  421  to  ^^^. 


That  the  Divine  Providence  neither  ap^ 
propriates  Evil  nor  Good  to  any  one^ 
but  that  Jdf -derived  Pniae7ice  appro-' 
priates  both. 

308.    XT  is  believed  almofl:  by  every  one,  that 

1    Man  thinketh  and  willeth  from  himfelf, 

and  thence  fpeaketh  and  a£teth  from  himfelf  ;  who 

can  think  otherwife  when  he  thinks  from  himfelf, 

fmce 


The  Divine  Providence.        459 

fmce  the  Appearance  that  it  is  fo,  is  fo  flrong,  that 
it  differs  Nothing  frorn  the  Reality,  vjz.  thinking, 
willing,  fpeaking,  and  aQing  from  one^s  Self,  which 
yet  is  not  polfible  ?   In  The  Angelic  Wisdom 
CONCERNING  THE  DiviNE  WiSDOM,  it  is  alfo  de- 
pionflirated,  that  there  is  one  only  Life,  and  that 
Men  are  Recipients  of  Life  ;  alfo  that  the  Will  of 
jMan  is  the  Receptacle  of  Love,  and  the  Under- 
ftanding  of  Man  is  the  Receptacle  of  Wifdom^ 
>vhich  two  conilitute  that  one  only  Life.     It  is  alfo 
4emonfl:rated,  that  it  is  ordered  by  Creation,  and 
thence  by  the  Divine  Providence  continually,  that 
that  Life  fhould  appear  in  Man,  in  fuch  a  Similitude 
as  if  it  were  his  ov/n,  confequently  proper  to  him- 
felf,  but  that  this  is  an  Appearance,  to  the  End  that 
Man  may  be  capable  of  being  a  Receptacle.    More- 
over it  is  demonitrated  above,  n.  288  to  294,  that 
no  Man  thinks  from  himfelf,  but  from  others,  and 
that  neither  do  thofe  others  think  from  themfelvesj 
JDut  all  from  the  Lord,  therefore  that  the  Wicked  do 
fo  as  well  as  the  Good  ;  likewife  that  tliis  is  known 
in  the  Chriilian  World,  efpecially  among  thofe  who 
not  only  fay,  but  alfo  believe  that  all  Goodnefs  and 
Truth  are  from  the  Lord,  alfo  all  Wifdom,  and  of 
Courfe  all  Faith  and  Charity  ;  and  moreover  thar 
every  Thing  Evil  and  Falfe  is  from  the  Devil  or 
from  Hell.     From  all  thefe  Premifes  no  other  Con- 
clufion  can  be  deduced,  than  that  whatever  a  Man 
thinketh  and  willeth  comes  by  Influx,  and  foraf- 
much  as  all  Speech  flows  from  Thought,  as  an 
Eflecl  from  its  Caufe,  and  all  Action  in  like  Manner 
from  the  W^ill,  therefore  that  whatever  Man  fpeak- 
^th  and  aiEleth,  cameth  likewife  by  Influx,  although 

derivatively 


4S'o      Angelic  Wisdom  cokcerking 

derivatively  or  mediately  :  That  whatever  a  Man 
fees,  hears,  fmells,  taftes,  and  feels,  comes  by  Influx, 
cannot  be  denied  ;  why  not  then  what  he  thinks 
and  wills  ?  Can  there  be  any  Difference,  than  that 
fuch  Things  as  are  in  the  natural  World  flow  into 
or  imprefs  the  Organs  of  the  external  Senfes  or  of 
the  Body,  and  that  fuch  Things  as  are  in  the  fpirit- 
ual  World  flow  into  or  imprefs  the  organic  Sub- 
ilances  of  the  internal  Senfes  or  of  the  Mind  ?  there- 
fore, that  as  the  Organs  of  tht  external  Senfes,  'or 
ol:"  the  Body,  are  Receptacles  of  natural  Objeds,  fo 
the  organic  Subdances  of  the  internal  Senfes,  or  of 
the  Mind,  are  Receptacles  of  fpiritual  Objed^s. 
Since  this  is  the  State  of  Man,  what  then  is  hi^ 
Proprium  ?  For  his  Proprium  does  not  confifl  in 
his  being  fuch  or  fuch  a  Receptacle,  becaufe  thq 
Proprium  is  nothing  elfe  but  his  (^ality  with  Re- 
fpeclto  Reception,  and  is  not  the  Proprium  of  Life  ; 
for  by  Proprium  no  one  means  any  Thing  elfe  but 
what  lives  from  itfelf,  and  thereby  thinks  pid  wills 
from  itielf ;  but  that  fuch  a  Proprium  doth  not  exifr 
in  Man,  yea,  that  neither  can  it  cxifl:  in  any  one, 
follows  as  a  Confequence  from  what  hath  been  faid 
above. 

309.  But  I  will  relate  w^hat  I  have  heard  from 
fome  in  the  fpiritual  World  ;  they  were  of  thofe 
who  believed  felf-derived  Prudence  to  be  every 
Thing,  and  the  Divine  Providence  Nothing  :  I  faid 
that  Man  hath  not  ary  Proprium,  (or  any  Thing 
which  can  finally  be  faid  to  be  proper  to  himfelf) 
unlefs  vou  choofe  to  make  his  Proprium  confifl  in 
his  being  fuch  and  fuch  a  Subjecl,  or  fuch  and  fuch 
an  Organ,  or  fuch  and  fuch  a  Form,  but  this  is  not 

the 


The  Divine  Providence.         461 

the  Propriuni  which  is  meant,  for  it  is  only  his 
Quality  ;  but  that  no  Man  hath  any  Proprium,  in 
the  Senle  in  which  Propriuni  is  commonly  under- 
ftood  :  They  who  afcribed  all  Things  to  felf-derived 
Prudence,  who  may  be  called  Proprietaries^  being 
the  very  Image  of  what  eflentially  conflitutes  that 
Charader,  grew  fo  enraged,  that  a  Flame  appeared 
ilTuing  from  their  Noflrils,  faying,  You  utter  Para- 
doxes and  Infanities  ;  would  not  Man  in  this  Cafe 
be  an  empty  Nothing  ?  He  would  either  be  a  Being 
merely  ideal  and  fantaftical,  or  he  would  be  an 
Image  8r  a  Statue.  To  this  I  could  only  anfwer, 
that  it  was  a  Paradox  and  Madnefs  to  believe,  that 
Man  is  Life  from  himfelf,  and  that  Wifdom  and 
Prudence  do  not  flow  from  God,  but  that  they  are 
in  Man,  confequently  alfo  the  Good  which  is  of 
Charity,  and  the  True  which  is  of  Faith  ;  for  any 
one  to  attribute  thefe  to  himfelf,  is  called  Infanity 
by  every  wife  Man,  and  therefore  is  alfo  a  Paradox  ; 
and  moreover  Perfons  fo  doing,  are  like  thofe  who 
dv/eil  in  the  Houfe  and  Eftate  of  another,  and  when 
they  are  in  PoffeiTion  thereof,  perfuade  them- 
felves  that  they  are  their  own  ;  or  like  Agents  and 
Stewards,  who  think  all  their  Mailer's  Property 
their  own  ;  and  like  the  Servants,  to  whom  the 
Lord  gave  the  Talents  to  trade  with,  in  Cafe  they 
had  rendered  no  Account  of  them,  but  kept  them 
as  their  own,  and  fo  a6led  as  Thieves  ;  of  fuch  it 
may  very  juftly  be  faid,  that  they  are  infane,  yea 
that  they  are  empty  Nothings,  alfo  that  they  are 
Ideahfts,  becaufe  they  have  no  Good,  which  is  the 
very  EfTence  of  Life,  in  themfelves  from  the  Lord, 
pnfequently  neither  have  they  any  Truth  ;  where- 
fore 


463     ANG3f:sic  Wisdom  concerning 

fore  the  fame  are  alfo  called  the  Dead,  and  likewife 
Nothing,  and  Emptinefs,  liaiah  xl.  17,  23^  and  m 
other  Places,  Maimers  of  Images,  idols,  and  Statues. 
But  of  this  more  belovv^  in  the  following  Order. 
4,.' Wliat  felf.derived  Prudence  is^  and  what  that 
Prudence  which  is  not  felf^ derived.  2.  That  Man 
from  feif-derived  Prudence  perfuades  himfelf  an4 
confirms  himfelf  in  the  Idea,  that  every  Good  and 
Truth  is  from  himfelf,  and.  in  himfelf,  and  in  likq 
Manner  every  evil  and  falfe  Principle.  3.  That 
every  Thing,  of  which  a  Man  is  perfuaded,  and  in 
which  he  confirms  himfelf,  remains  as  his  Proprium^ 
Of  j^s  proper  to  him.  4.  That  if  Man  would  believe 
Aviiat  is  the  Truth,  that  every  Thing  good  and  true 
is  from  the  Lord,  and  every  Thing  evil  and  falfe 
from  Hell?  he  would  neither  appropriate  to  himfelf 
Good  and  make  it  meritorious,  [that  is^  impute  the 
Merit  of  it  to  himfelf,]  nor  would  he  appropriate 
to  himfelf  Evil,  and  make  himfelf  guilty  of  it,  and 
g,ccountable  for  it. 

310.  I.  What  f elf 'derived  Prudence  is^  and  ivhat 
thai  Prudence  which  is  not  felf-'deiived.  They  are  in 
felf-derived  Prudence,  who  confirm  Appearances  in 
themfelves,  and  make  them  Truths,  efpecially  this 
Appearance,  th^t  felf-derived  Prudence  is  All,  and 
the  Divine  Providence  Nothing,  but  fome  general 
Kind  of  Things  which  neverthelefs  cannot  exifl 
without  Particulars  of  which  it  mufl  confift,  as  was 
^lewn  ^bove  :  They  are  alfo  in  Fallacies,  for  every 
Appearance  confirmed  as  a  Truth  becomes  a  Falla- 
cy ;  and  in  Proportion  as  they  confirm  themfelves 
from  Fallacies,  in  the  fame  Proportion  they  become 
Naturalifts,  and  in  the  fame  Proportion  they  believe 

Nothing 


^The  Divine  PROViDE:tsrct.         465 

Nothing  but  what  they  can  at  the  fame  Time  per- 
ceive with  fome  of  the  bodily  Senfcs,  efpecially  the. 
Sight,   becaufe   this    principally  afts  as   one  with 
Thought  ;  fifch  Perfons  at  lad  become  fenfual  ;  and 
if  they  confirm  themfelves  in  Favour  of  Nature 
againfl  God,  they  clofe  the  Interiors  of  their  Mindj 
and  interpo^^  a  Veil,  as  it  were,  and  afterwards 
think  what  is  under  the  Veil,  arid  not  any  Thing 
that  is  above  it :  Thefe  Senfualilts  were  called  by 
the  Ancients,  Serpents  of  the  Tree  of  Knowledge  j 
Of  thefe  it  is  faid  in  the  fpiritual  World,  that  as 
they  confirm  themfelves,  they  clofe  the  Interiors  of 
their  Minds,  at  length  even  unto  the  Nofe,  for  the 
Nofe  fignifies  Perception  of  Truth,  and  in  this  In- 
ftance  as   clofed  it  fignifies  no  Perception  at  alL 
Their  Charafter  Ihall  now  be  defcribed  j  they  are 
more  cunning  and  crafty  than  others,  and  are  alfo 
ingenious  Reafoners,  and  Cunning  and  Craftinefs 
they  call  Intelligence  and  Wifdom,  neither  do  they 
know  any 'other  ;   Thofe  who  are  not  of  this  De- 
fcription^  they  confider  as  fimple  and  flupid,  efpeci- 
ally the  Worfhippers.  of  God,  and  Confeflbrs  of  the 
Divine  Providence  :   With  Refped  to  the  interior 
Principles  of  their  Minds,  of  which  they  themfelves 
know  very  little,  they  are  like  thofe  who  are  Machi- 
avelifts,  who  make  no  Account  of  Murders,  Adulte- 
ries, Thefts,   and  falfe  Teftimony,  confidered  in 
themfelves,  and  if  they  reafon  againfl  them,  it  is 
only  from  Motives  of  Prudence,  that  they  may  not 
appear  to  be  what  they  really  are.     Of  the  Life  of 
Man  in  this  World,  they  only  think  that  it  is  like 
the  Life  of  a  Bead  ;  and  of  the  Life  of  Man  after 
Death,  that  it  is  like  a  vital  Vapour,  which  rifing 

from 


464    Angelic  Wisdom  coNCERNfNc^ 

from  the  Corpfe  or  Grave,  relapfes  again,  and  fo 
dies  :  From  this  Madnefs  came  the  Idea  that  Spirits 
and  Angels  are  Air^  and  among  thofe  who  are  en- 
joined to  believe  in  Life  everlalling,  that  th^  Souls 
of  Men  are  the  fame,  and  therefore  that  they  neither 
fee,  hear,  nor  fpeak^  confequently  that  they  are 
blind,  deaf,  and  dumb,  and  that  they  only  think  in 
their  Particle  of  Air ;  for  they  fay,  how  can  the 
Soul  be  any  Thing  elfe  ?  Did  not  the  external  Sen- 
fes  die  with  the  Body^  and  how  can  they  receive 
them  again  before  the  Soul  is  reunited  to  the  Body  ? 
And  becaufe  they  could  ha,ve  no  other  than  a  fen- 
fual  and  not  a  fpiritual  Idea  of  the  State  of  the  Soul 
after  Death,  they  elbbliflied  this,  otherwife  the 
Belief  of^an  everlafting  Life  would  have  perifhed. 
More  efpecially  they  conhrm  in  themfelves  Self- 
Love,  calling  it  the  Fire  of  Life,  and  an  Incitement 
to  various  Ufes  in  Society  ;  and  forafmuch  as  they 
are  of  this  Defcription,  they  are  the  Idols  of  them* 
felves,  and  their  Thoughts,  being  Fallacies  from 
Fallacies,  are  Images  of  v/hat  is  Falfe  :  And  foraf- 
much as  they  favour  the  Delights  of  Concupifcences, 
they  are  Satans  and  Devils ;  they  are  called  Satans, 
who  confirm  in  themfelves  the  Concupifcences  of 
Evil,  and  they  are  called  Devils  who  live  according 
to  them.  It  hath  alfo  been  given  to  know  the  Na- 
ture of  the  moil  cunning  Sort  of  fenfual  Men  ;  they 
have  a  deep  Hell  behind,  and  wifh  to  be  invifible, 
wherefore  they  appear  hovering  about  there  like 
Spedres,  which  are  their  Phantafies,  and  they  are 
called  Genii :  Some  of  them  were  fent  once  from 
that  Hell,  that  I  might  know  the  Nature  of  them  ; 
they  immediately  applied  themfelves  to  the  back 

Part 


The  Divine  Providence.         465 

Part  of  my  Neck  under  the  Occiput,  and  thence 
entered  into  my  Aficjflions,  'not  choofmg  to  enter 
into  my  Thoughts,  which  they  dexteroufly  avoided, 
and  they  varied  my  Atfe^llons  one  aftei"  another, 
with  a*  Defign  of  bending  them  infenfibly  into  their 
Oppofites,  which  are  Concupifcences  of  Evil,  and 
forafmuch  as  they  did  not  m  the  lead  meddle  with 
my  Thoughts,  they  would  have  inflected  and  invert- 
ed my  Affections,  without  my  Knowledge,  if  the 
Lord  had  not  prevented.     They  become  fuch,  who 
in  the  World  do  nqt  believe  there  is  any  fuch  Thing 
as  a  Divine  Providence,  and  fearch  for  Nothing  in. 
others  but  their  Cupidities  and  Defires,  and  fo  lead 
them   till  they  acquire  a  perfect  Afcendency  over 
them  ;  and  forahnuch  as  they  do  this  fo  clandef- 
tinely  and  cunningly,  that  the  others  do  not  know- 
it,   and  as  after   Death   they  are  like  themfelves, 
therefore  immediately  after  their  Arrival  in  the  fpi- 
ritual  World,  they  are  cafl  in^o  that  Hell ;  when 
feen  in  the  Light  of  Heaven,  they  appear  without 
any  Nofe,  and  what  is  w^onderful,  although  they 
are  fo  cunning,  yet  they  are  more  fenfual  than  oth- 
ers.    Forafmuch  as  the  Ancients  called  the  fenfual 
Man  a  Serpent,  and  fuch  a  Man  is  a  more  cunning 
and  crafty  Reafoner  than  others,  therefore  it  is  faid, 
"  That  the  Serpent  ivas  move  fuhill  than  any  Beaji  of 
the  Fields''  Gen.  iii.  1  :  And  the  Lord  faith,  "  Be  ye 
iL'ife  as  Serpents^  and  karmlcfs  as  Doves ^^'  Matth.  x. 
16  ;  and  moreover  the  Dragon,  who  is  alfo  called 
the  old  Serpent,  the  Devil,  and  Satan,  is  defcribed 
as  *^'  having  feven  Heads ^  and  ten  Horns ^  and  /even 
Crowns  vpon  his  Heads ^'  Apoc.  xii.  3,  9  :  By  fcven 
Heads  13  f^gni^ed  Craftinefs,  by  ten  Horns  is  figni- 
L  L  1  fied 


466    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

fied  the  Power  of  perfuading  by  Fallacies,  and  by 
feven  Crowns  are  fignlfied  the  holy  Things  of  the 
Word  and  of  the  Church  profaned. 

311.  From  this  Defcription  of  felf-derived  Pru- 
dence, and  of  thofe  who  are  in  it,  may  be  feeivwhat 
is  the  Nature  of  that  Prudence  which  is  not  felt- 
derived,  and  what  Kind  of  Perf^ns  they  are  who 
are  in  it,  namely,  that  Prudence  which  is  net  felf- 
derived  is  fuch  Prudence  as  is  in  thofe,  who  do 
not  confirm  in  themfelves  the  Idea,  that  intelli- 
gence and  Wifdom  are  fipm  I\Ian,  faying,  hov/  can 
a  Man  have  Wifdom  from  himfelf,  and  how  can  a 
Man  do  Good  from  himfelf;  and  when  they  fay 
this,  they  fee  that  it  is  fo,  i'ov  they  think  interiorly, 
and  alfo  believe  that  others  thiiik  in  the  fame  Man- 
ner, eipecially  the  Learned,  becaufe  they  do  not 
know  that  any  one  can  think  only  exteriorly. 
They  are  not  in  Fallacies  by  Means  of  any  Coniir- 
mations  of  Appearances,  wherefore  they  know  and 
perceive  that  Murders,  Adulteries,  Thefts,  and 
falfe  Teftimony,  are  Sins,  and  for  that -Reafon,  they 
fhun  them  ;  alfo  that  Malice  is  not  Wifdom,  and 
that  Craftinefs  is  not  Intelligence  ;  when  they  hear 
ingenious  Rcafonings  founded  in  Fallacies,  they 
wonder  and  fmile  within  themfelves  ;  the  Reafon  is, 
becaufe  in  them  there  is  no  Veil  bel'.veen  the  in- 
teriors and  Exteriors,  or  between  the  fpiritual  and 
natural  Things  of  the  Mind,  as  there  is  in  the  Sen- 
fual ;  wherefore  they  receive  Infiux  from  TIeaven, 
whereby  they  fee  fuch  Things  interiorly.  They 
fpeak  with  more.  Simplicity  and  Sincerity  than  oth- 
ers, ?Ss^d  place  Wifdom  in  living  wtH,  and  not 
in   fpeaking   well  ;    they   are    comparatively   like 

Lambs 


The  Divine  Providence.        467 

Lambs  and   Sheep,  when  they  who  are  in  felf-de- 
rived  Prudence,  arc   like  Wolves  and  Foxes  ;  and 
they  are  like  thole   who   dwell  in   a   Houfe,  and 
through   its    Windows  fee   the  Heavens,  whereas 
they  who  are  in  lejf-derived  Prudence,    are   like 
thole  who   dwell  in   a  Cellar,   and  through  their 
Windows  fee  Nothing  bat  what  is  under  Ground  ; 
and  they  are  like  thole  w^ho  (land   upon  a  Moun- 
tain, and  fee  fuch  as  are  in  fcl ('-derived  Prudence 
wandering  below  in  Vallies  and  in  Woods.     Hence 
it  may  appear  that  Prudence,  which  is  not  felf-de* 
rived,  is  Prudence  from  the  Lord,  fimilar  as  to  its 
Appearance  in  Externals  to  felf-derived  Prudence, 
but  totally  different  in  Internals  ;   in  Internals  Pru- 
dence which  is  not  felf-deiived  appears  in  the  fpir^ 
itual  World   like  a  Man  or  Being  truly  human, 
but  felf-derived  Prudence  like  an  Image  appearing 
to  have  Life  from  this  Circumflance  only,  that  they 
who  are  in  it,  have  fiill  Rationality  and  Liberty,  or 
a  Faculty  of  underilanding  and  willing,  and  thence 
of  fpeaking  and  a6ling  ;  and  that  by  Means  of  thefe 
Faculties  they  alfo  can  fmiulate  human  Beings,  or 
feign  themfeives  Men  :    The  Reafon  why  they  are 
fuch   Ima^-^es,  is,  becaufe  Evils  and  Falfes  are  not 
alive,  but  only  Goods  and  Truths,   and  forafmuch 
as  they  know  this   by  Means  of  their.  Rationality, 
(for  if  they  did  not  know  it,  they  would  not  pre- 
tend to  fuch  Thin'js)  therefore  they  poffefs  human 
Vitality   {JHtak  bumamim']  in  their  Imager.     W^ho 
doth  not  knov/,  that  the  Quality  of  a  Man  is   de- 
termined  by  what   he    is    interiorly,    confequently 
that  he  is  a  real  Man,  who  is  interiorly  fuch   as  he 
wifheth  to  feeni  exteriorly,  and  that  he  is  an  Image 

[Simidacbrum~\ 


468     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

\_Simnlachrum']  or  Counterfeit,  who  is  only  a  Man 
extericriy,  and  not  interiorly  ;  think  as  you  ipeak 
in  Favour  of  God,  of  Religion,  and  of  Julfice  and 
Sincerity,  and  you  will  be  a  Man,  and  then  the 
Divine  Providence  will  be  your  Prudence,  and  you 
will  difcern  in  others  that  felf-derived  Prudence  is 
Infanity. 

312.  II.  That  Man  from  feJf -derived  Frudence. 
pcrfiiades  himfelf^  and  confirms  in  hinifelf  the  Idea^ 
that  every  Good  and  Truth  is  in  J/wifelf  and  from 
himfef^  and  in  like  Manner  every  evil  ajidfalfe  Prin- 
ciple, Inftitute  an  Argumentation  or  Courfe  of 
Reafoning  by  Analogy  betv^een  natural  Good  and 
Truth,  and  fpiritual  Good  and  Truth  :  Inquire 
firfl;  what  is  true  and  good  in  the  Sight  of  the  Eye ; 
is  not  that  true  therein  which  is  called  beautiful, 
and  that  good  therein  which  is  called  delightful  ? 
for  Delight  is  felt  from  feeing  beautiful  Objects. 
Inquire  next  what  is  true  and  good  in  the  Senfe  of 
Hearing  ;  is'^not  that  true  therein  v^hich  is  called 
harmonious,  and  that  good  therein  which  is  called 
fwcet  and  pleafant  ?  for  Sv/eetnefs  or  Fieafure  is 
felt  from  hearing  harmonious  Sounds.  It  is  the 
fame  with  the  other  Senfes ;  hence  it  is  evident 
what  natural  Truth  and  Good  are  ;  Conlkler  now 
what  fpiritual  Truth  and  Good  are  ;  is  fpiritual 
Truth  any  Thing  elfe  but  the  Beauty  and  Harmo- 
ny of  fpiritual  Things  and  Objeds  ?  and  is  fpiritual 
Good  any  Thing  t\^t  but  the  Delight  and  Fieaf- 
ure arifmg  from  a  Perception  of  their  Beauty  or 
Harmony  l  Let  us  now  fee,  whether  any  Thing 
can  be  aiferted  of  the  one  which  is  not  true  of  the 
C>ther,  or  of  what  is  natural  which  is  not  true  of 

what 


The  Divine  Providence.        469 

what  is  fpiritual;.  of  what  is  natural  it  is  fald,  that 
what  is  beautiful  and  dehghtful  to  the  Kye  flows 
from  external  Objccls,  and  what  is  harmonious  and 
fweet  to  the  Ear  flows  from  Inftruments  ;  in  what 
Refpecl  is  the  Cafe  dill'erent  with  the  organic  Sub- 
ftances  of  the  Mind  ?  It  is  faid  of  the  latter,  that 
thofe  Things  (viz.  Beauty  and  DeHght)  are  in 
them,  and  of  the  former,  [natural  Organs]  that 
they  flow  into  them  [or  as  we  fay  in  Enghih,  ini- 
prefs  them  j]  but  if  it  be  aflied  why  it  is  faid  that 
they  flow  in,  or  enter  by  Influx,  no  other  Anfwer 
can  be  given,  than  that  it  is  fo,  becaufe  there  ap- 
pears a  Diftance  between  the  Organ  of  Senfe  and 
that  which  imprefles  or  flows  into  it ;  and  if  it  be 
aflvcd,  why  in  the  other  Inftance,  it  is  faid  of  fpir- 
itual Objeds,  that  they  are  in  the  Mind  and  its 
organized  Subilances  ;  no  other  Anfwer  can  be 
given,  than  that  it  is  fo,  becaufe  there  doth  not 
appear  any  Diilance  between  them  ;  confequently 
that  it  is  the  Appearance  of  Diftance  which  caufeth 
a  different  Notion  to  take  Place  refpeding  the 
Things  which  a  Man  thinks  and  perceives,  and  the 
Things  which  he  fees  and  hears  :  But  this  falls  to 
the  Ground,  when  it  is  known  that  the  Spiritual 
Principle  doth  not  exiO:  in  Din:ance  as  the  Natural 
does  ;  think  of  the  Sun  and  Moon,  or  of  Rome 
and  Conflantinople  j  do  they  not  exiit  in  Thought 
without  Diflance,  provided  fuch  Thought  be  not 
connected  with  Experience  acquired  by  Sight  or 
by  Hearing  ?  Why  then  do  you  perfuade  yourfclf, 
becaufe  Diftance  does  not  appear  in  Thought,  that 
Good  and  Truth,  as  alfo  Evil  and  the  Falfe  Frinci^ 
pie  exift  there,  and  do  act  enter  by  Influx  ?    I'o 


47©     Angclic  Wisdom  concerning 

this  I  will  add  a  Fad  known  by  Experience,  and 
which  is  common  in  the  fpiritual  World  ;  one 
Spirit  can  infufe  his  Thoughts  and  Affections  into 
another  Spirit,  without  the  other's  knowing,'  but 
that  the  fame  is  of  his  own  Thought  and  Affedion  j 
this  is  called  in  that  World  thinking  from  another, 
and  thinking  in  another ;  I  have  feen  this  done  a  thou* 
fand  Times,  and  have  alfo  done  it  an  hundred  Times 
myfelf ;  and  yet  the  Appearance  of  Didance  was  con- 
fiderable;  but  as  foon  as  they  knew  that  it  was  another 
whoinfufed  thofe  Thoughts  and  Affedions,  they  were 
angry,  and  turned  themfelves  away,  acknowledging 
neverthelefs  that  Diilance  doih  not  appear  in  the 
internal  Sight  or  Thought,  unlefs  it  be  difcovered, 
as  it  doth  in  the  external  Sight  or  Eye,  and  that 
hence  it  is,  that  it  is  thought  to  enter  into  the  latteif 
by  Influx*  To  this  Fad  I  can  add  my  own  daily 
Experience  ;  evil  Spirits  have  often  injeded  Evils 
and  Falfes  into  my  Thoughts,  which  appeared  to 
me  as  if  they  v^^ere  in  myfelf,  and  from  myfelf,  or 
as  if  1  thought  them  myfelf ;  but  forafmuch  as  i 
knew  that  they  were  Evils  and  Falfes,  I  endeavour- 
ed to  fmd  out  w^ho  injeded  them,  and  they  were 
deteded  and  driven  away,  and  they  were  at  a  con- 
liderable  Difcance  from  me.  ^ Hence  it  may  appear  ■ 
that  all  Evil  with  its  falfe  Principle  flows  from  Hell, 
and  that  all  Good  with  its  Truth  flows  from  the 
Lord,  and  that  they  boih  appear  as  if  they  w^ere  in 
Man. 

313.  The  Nature  and  Quality  of  thofe  who  are 
in  felf-derived  Prudence,  and  of  thofe  who  are  in 
Prudence  not  felf-derived,  and  who  arc  thence  in 
the  Divine  Providence,  is  defcribed  in  the  Word 3 

by 


The  Divine  Providence.         471 

by  Adam  and  his  Wife  Eve  in  the  Garden  of  Eden, 
where  there  were  two  Trees,  the  Tree  of  Life,  and 
the  Tree  of  the  Knowledge  of  Good  and  Evil,  and 
by  their  eating  of  the  latter  ;  that  by  Adam  and  his 
Wife  Eve,  in  the  internal  or  fpiritual  Senfe,  is  meant 
and  defcribed  the  Lord's  molt  ancient  Church  upon 
this  Earth,  which  was  more  noble  and  celeflial  than 
any  that  fucceeded  it,  may  be  feen  above,  n.  241  ; 
by  the  refl  is  fignified  as  follows  ;  by  the  Garden 
of  Eden  is  fignified  the  Wifdom  of  ^he  Men  of  that 
Church  ;  by  the  Tree  of  Life,  the  Lord  with  Re- 
fpect  to  his  Divine  Providence  ;  and  by  the  Tree  of 
Knowledge,  Man  with  Refpecl  to  his  felf-derived 
Prudence  ;  by  the  Serpent,  the-Senfuality  and  Pro- 
priety (or  Proprium)  of  Man,  which  in  itfelf  is  Self* 
Love,  and  the  Pride  cf  his  own  Intelligence,  confe- 
quently  the  Devil  and  Satan  ;  by  eating  of  the  Tree 
of  Knowledge,  the  Appropriation  of  Good  and 
Truth,  as  if  they  were  not  from  the  Lord  and  con- 
fequently  of  the  Lord,  but  from  Man  himfcif  and 
confequently  of  Man,  that  is,  his  own  ;  and  foraf- 
•much  as  Good  and  Truth  are  Things  really  Divine 
in  Man,  for  by  Good  is  meant  the  whole  of  Love^ 
and  by  Truth  the  whole  of  Wifdom,  therefore  if 
Man  claims  them  to  himfelf  as  his  own,  he  cannot 
but  think  himfelf  like  a  God,  wherefore  the  Serpent 
faid,  "  In  ihe  Day  that  ye  eat  thereof^  then  your  Eyes 
JJnall  be  opened^  and  yc  Jhall  be  as  God^  kncKuing  Good 
and  E^jH^''  Gen.  iii.  5  ;  fo  alfo  do  they  think  who 
are  in  Self-Love,  and  thence  in  the  Pride  of  felf- 
derived  Intelligence  in  Hell ;  by  the  Condemnation 
of  the  Serpent  is  0;^^nified  the  Condemnation  of 
Man's  ov/n  proper  Love  and  proper  Intelligence  j 

bv 


47^     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

by  the  Condemnation  of  Eve  the  Condemnation  of 
the  voluntary  Propriuin  [or  Will. proper  to  Man  J 
and  by  the  Condemnation  of  Adam  the  Condemna* 
tion  of  the  intelledual  Proprium  [or  Underflanding 
proper  to  Man  Q  by  Thorns  and  Thiftles,  which 
the  Earth  ihail  bring  forth,  is  fignified  mere  Falfe- 
hood  and  Evil ;  by  their  being  caft  out  of  the  Gar- 
den is  llgnificd  Deprivation  of  Wifdom  ;  by  the 
guarding  of  the  Way  to  the  Tree  of  Life,  the 
Lord's  provident  Care  to  proted:  the  holy  Things  of 
the  Word  and  of  the  Church  from  Violation ;  by 
the  Fig  Leaves  wherewith  they  covered  their  Naked- 
nefs,  are  fignified  moral  Truths,  under  which  were 
concealed  the  Things  appertaining  to  their  Love 
and  Pride  ;  and  by  the  Coats  of  Skins,  with  which 
they  W'cre  afterwards  cloathed,  are  fignified  Appear- 
ances of  Truth,  in  which  alone  they  were  princi- 
pled. This  is  the  fpiritual  Meaning  of  thofe  Things. 
But  he  v/ho  choofes,  may  remain  in  the  literal 
Senfe,  only  let  him  know  that  it  is  fo  undcrftood  in 
Heaven. 

314.  What  Sort  of  Perfons  they  are,  who  are  in- 
fatuated by  felf-derived  Intelligence,  may  appear 
from  their  Imaginations  in  Matters  of  interior 
Judgment ;  as  for  Example,  concerning  Infiux, 
Thought,  and  Life.  Concerning  Influx,  they 
think  inverfely,  as  that  the  Sight  of  the  Eye  flows 
into  the  inte/nai  Sig^ht  of  the  Mind*,  which  is  the 
Underibnding,  and  that  the  Hearing  of  the  Ear 
flows  into  the  internal  Hearing,  which  is  alfo  the 
Underftandi.nir ;  and  they  do  not  perceive,  that  the 
Ilnderllandinp'  from  the  Will  flow:,  into  the  Eye, 
and  into  the  Ear,  and   not  only  conftitutes  thofe 


The  Divine  Providence.         473 

Senfes,  but  alfo  ufes  them  as  its  Inftruments  in  the 
natural  World  :    But  becaufe  this  is  not  according 
to  Appearance,  they  do  not  perceive  it  ;    only  if  it 
be   affirmed  that  what  is  Natural   doth  not  flow  in- 
to what  is  Spiritual,  but  what  is  Spiritual  into  what 
is  Natural,   i^ill  they  think,  What  is  that  which  is 
Spiritual   but   Somewhat    more    purely   Natural  ? 
Moreover,  doth  it  not   appear,  that  when  the  Eye 
fees   any  beautiful   Object,  or  the  Ear  h-ears  any 
harmonious  Sounds  the  Mind,   uhich   is   the  Un* 
derflanding   and  Will,  is  delighted,  not  knowing 
that    the   Eye    doth   not  fee  from   itfelf,   nor  the 
Tongue  tafte  from  itfelf,  nor  the^Nofe  fmell  from 
itfelf,  nor  the  Skin  feel  from  itfelf,- but  that  it  is  the 
Mind  or  Spirit  of  Man,  which  there  perceives  fuch 
Things  by  the  Senfe,  and  thence  is  afFc(Sted  accord- 
ing to  the  Quality  of  the  Senfe  ;  but  (till  that  the 
Mind  or  Spirit  oif  Man  does  not  feel  them  from 
itfelf,  but  from  the  Lord  ;  and  that  to  think  other- 
wife,  is  to  think  fi-om  Appearances,  and  if  it  be  eon- 
firmed  ^  from  Fallacies.      Concerning  Thought, 
they  fay,  that  it  is  Somewhat  modified  in  the  Air, 
varied  according  to  its  Objeds,  and  enlarged  in  Pro- 
portion as  it  is  cultivated  ;  therefore,  that  Ideas  of 
Thought  are   Images,    like  Meteors   appearing  in 
the  Air  ;  and  that  the  Memory  is  a  Table  upon 
which  they  are    imprefied  ;    not    knowing    that 
Thoughts  exifl:  alike  in  Subftances  purely  organic, 
as  the  Sight  and  Hearing  do  in  their's  :  Let  them 
only  look  into  the  Brain,  and  they  will  fee  that  it  is 
full  of  fuch  Subftances  ;  injure  them,  and  you  will 
bring  on  a  Delirium  ;  defiroy  them,  and  you  will 
die  :  But  what  Thought  is,  and  alfo  what  Memory 
M  ]\i  m  i^ 


474      Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

is,  may  be  feen  above,  n.  279,  towards  the  End. 
Concerning  Life,  they  know  no  other,  than  that  it 
is  a  certain  Aclivity  of  Nature,  W'hich  caufeth  itfelf 
to  be  felt  diverfely,  as  the  hving  Body  moves  itfelf 
organically  :  If  it  be  alleged,  that  if  this  be  the 
Cafe,  Nature  lives ;  this  they  deny,  hnt  mamtain 
that  Nature  giveth  Life  :  If  you  fay,  is  not  Life  then 
dillipated  when  the  Body  dies  ?  they  anfwer,  that 
Life  remains  in  a  Particle  of  Air  which  is  called  the 
Soul :  If  you  fay,  what  then  is  God,  is  not  Lie  Life 
itfelf?  Here  they  are  filent,  and  will  not  declare 
what  they  think  :  If  you  fay,  will  you  not  acknowl- 
edge that  the  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine  Wifdoni 
Tire  Life  itfelf?  ihey  anfwer,  what  is  Love,  and 
what  is  Wifdom  ?  For  in  their  Fallacies  they  do  not 
fee  v/hat  Love  and  Wifdom  are,  nor  what  God  is. 
Thefe  Obfervations  are  adduced,  that  it  may  be  feen 
how  Man  is  infatuated  by  felf-derived  Pra^lence,  be- 
caufe  he  draws  all  his  Conclafions  from  Appear- 
ances, and  thereby  from  Fallacies. 

316.  The  Reafon  why  felf-deiived  Prudence 
perfuades  and  confirms  the  Idea,  that  every  Good 
and  Truth  is  from  Man  and  in  Man,  is,  becaufe 
felf-derived  Prudence  is  the  intelledual  Propriun\ 
of  Man  flowing  from  Self-Love,  which  is  the  vol* 
untary  Proprium  of  Man,  and  that  which  is  his 
Proprium  cannot  do  otherwife  than  make  all 
Things  his  own  ;  for  it  cannot  be  elevated  by  him  : 
All  who  are  led  by  the  Divine  Providence  of  the 
Lord,  are  elevated  above  iheir  Proprium,  and  then 
they  fee  that  all  Good  and  Truth  are  from  the 
Lord  ;  yea  they  fee  alfo,  that  that  which  is  from 
the  Lord  in  Man,  is  perpetually  of  the  Lord,  and 

never 


The  Divine  Providence.         475 

never  of  Man.  He  who  thinks  otherwife,  is  like 
one  who  hath  Goods  of  his  Mailer  depofited  in  his 
Hands,  and  lays  Claim  to  them,  or  appropriates 
them  to  himfclf  as  his  own,  who  is  therefore  not 
a  Steward,  but  a  Thief;  and  forafnmch  as  the 
Proprium  of  Man  is  Nothing  but  Evil,  therefore  he 
alfo  immerfes  them  into  his  Evil,  whereby  they  will 
be  confumed,  like  Peails  caft  into  Dui:g,  or  diifolv- 
ed  in  Acids. 

317.  III.  Tbat  every  Thing,  of  ivhich  a  Man  is  per- 
fnadvd,  and  in  which  he  is  cojifirnied,  retnains  as  if  prop- 
er to  him^  or  becomes  his  Proprium  or  Property,  It  is 
thought  by  many,  that  no  Truth  can  be  feen  by  Man, 
except  from  Things  conhrmed  ;  but  this  is  falfe  : 
In  Things  wliich  relate  to  the  civil  Government  and 
CEconomy  of  a  Kingdom  or  State,  what  is  ufeful 
and  good  cannot  be  feen,  unlefs  fevcral  of  the  Stat- 
utes and  Ordinances  therein  be  known  ;  nor  in 
Matters  of  a  judicial  Nature,  unlefs  Laws  be  known  j 
nor  in  natural  Things,  as  in  Fhyfics,,  Chemidry, 
Anatomy,  Mechanics,  and  the  like,  unlefs  a  Pviaa 
be  inftructed  in  Sciences  j  but  in  Things  purely  of 
a  rational,  moral,  and  fpiritual  Nature,  Truths  ap- 
pear merely  from  their  own  Light,  provided  a  Man, 
Jpy  Means  of  a  good  Education,  be  made  in  fome 
Degree  rational,  moral,  and  fpiritual  :  The  Reafon 
is,  becnufe  every  Man,  with  Refpecc  to  his  Spirit, 
which  it  is  that  thinks,  is  in  the  fpiiitua]  World, 
and  is  one  among  thofe  who  live  there,  confequent- 
ly  is  in  fpiritual  Light,  which  illuminates  the  Inte- 
riors of  his  Underiianding,  and  as  it  were  diccates  ; 
for  fpiritual  Lii>;ht  in  iis  KlVence  is  the  Divine  Truth 
of  the  Lord's^  Divine  Wifdom :  Hence  Tvlan  hath 

Povrer 


476    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Power  to  think  analytically,  to  form  Conclufions 
concerning  Juflice  and  Reclitude  in  Judgments,  and 
to  fee  Honeily  in  moral  Life,  and  Good  in  fpiritual 
Life  ;  and  likewife  many  1  ruths,  which  do  not  fall 
into  Darknefs,  except  by  the  Confirmation  of  Falfes; 
Thefe  Things  Man  fees  comparatively  juil:  as  he  fees 
the  Mind  of  another  in  his  Face,  and  perceives  his 
Affedions  from  the  Sound  of  his  Voice,  without  any 
other  Knowledge,  than  what  is  inherent  in  every 
one  :  Why  fhould  not  Man  fee  the  Interiors  of  his 
Life  which  are  fpiritual  and  moral,  by  Influx,  in  a 
certain  Degree,  when  there  is  no  Animal  which  doth 
not  know  its  Neceffaries,  which  are  natural,  by  In^ 
flux  ?  Birds  know  how  to  make  their  Nefts,  lay 
their  Eggs,  hatch  their  young,  and  choofe  their 
Food  ;  befides  other  wonderful  Things,  which  are 
called  Inftintl. 

318.  But  how  the  State  of  Pvlan  is  changed  by 
Confirmations  and  confequent  Perfuafions,  fhall  now 
be  ffiewn  in  the  following  Order,  i.  That  there  is 
Nothing  but  Vv'hat  may  be  confirmed,  and  the  Falfe 
more  eafily  than  the  Truth.  2,  That  when  the 
Falfe  is  confirmed.  Truth  does  not  appear  ;  but 
that  from  confirmed  Truth,  the  Falfe  does  appear, 
o,.  That  to  be  able  to  confirm  whatloever  a  Mail 
pleafes,  is  not  Intelligence,  but  only  Ingenuity,  which 
may  take  Place  even  in  the  mcft  wicked.  4.  That 
there  may  be  intelledual  Confirmation,  and  not  at 
the  fame  Time  voluntary  ;  but  that  all  voluntary 
Confirmation  is  alfo  intelledual.  5.  That  the  vol- 
untary and  at  the  fam.e  lime  intelledual  Confirma- 
tion of  Evil,  caufeth  Man  to  think  that  his  own  Pru- 
dence is  all,  and  the  Divine  Providence  Nothing  ^ 

but 


The  Divine  Providence.         477 

but  not  the  Intelleftual  Confirmation  tber("of  alone. 
6.  That  every  Thmg  confirmed  by  the  Will,  and 
at  the  lame  Time  by  the  Underfianding,  remains  to 
Eternity  ;  but  not  that  which  is  only  confirmed  by 
the  Underitanding.  With  Refpedl  to  the  First  : 
That  there  is  Nothing  but  what  may  he  confirmed^  and 
the  Falfe  more  eafdy  than  the  Truth  :  What  may  not 
be  confirmed,  when  it  is  confirmed  by  Atheiils,  that 
God  is  not  the  Creator  of  the  Univerie,  but  that 
Nature  is  the  Creator  of  herfelf ;  that  ReHgion  is 
only  an  external  Means  of  Reftraint,  and  calculated 
for  the  fimple  and  the  vulgar ;  that  Man  is  like  a 
Beaft,  and  that  he  dies  in  hke  Manner  ?  What  may 
not  be  confirmed,  when  it  is  confirmed  that  Adul- 
teries are  allowable,  as  aifo ,  clandeftine  Thefts, 
Frauds,  and  deceitful  Arts  ;  that  Cumiing  is  In- 
telligence, and  Malice  Wifdom  ?  Who  doth  not 
confirm  his  own  Herefy  ?  Are  there  not  Volumes 
full  of  Confirmations  in  Favour  of  tli^e  two  reigning 
Herefies  in  the  Chriiliau  World  ?  Efiablidi  ten 
Herefies  even  of  an  abfirufe  Nature,  and  tell  an  in- 
genious Perfon  to  confirm  them,  and  he  will  con- 
firm them  all  :  If  you  afterwards  view  them  only 
from  their  Confirmations,  will  you  not  fee  Falits  as 
if  they  were  Truths  ?  Inafmuch  as  every  falfe  Prin- 
ciple hath  a  lucid  Appearance  in  the  natural  Man, 
arifing  from  his  Appearances  and  Fallacies,  which 
is  not' the  Cafe  with  Truth,  except  in  the  fpiritual 
Man,  it  is  evident  that  the  Falfe  can  be  confirmed 
more  eafily  than  the  Truth.  In  Order  that  it  may 
be  known,  that  every  falfe  Principle  and  every  Evil 
can  be  confirmed  in  fuch  a  Manner,  tliat  the  falfe 
Principle  may  appear  true,  and  the  evil  Principle 

good, 


478    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

good,  take  the  following  Example  ;    let  it  be  con- 
firmed,   that  Light   is    Darknefs,    and    Darknefs 
Light ;  may  it  not  be  faid,  What  is  Light  in  itfelf  ? 
Is  it   any  Thing  but  a  certain  Appearance  in   the 
Eye  according  to  its  State  ?    What  is  Light  when 
the  Eye  is  fhut  ?    Have  not  Bats  and   Owls  fuch 
Eyes,  that  they  fee  Light  as  Darknefs,    and  Dark^ 
ncfs  as  Light  ?  I  have  heard  fome  Perfons  fay,  that 
they  can  fee  in  the  fame  Manner,  and  of  the  Infer-, 
nals  I  have  heard,  that  although  they  are  in  Dark^ 
nefs,  yet  they  fee  one  another  ;    do  not   Men  fea 
Light  at  Midnight  in  their  Dreams  ?  Is  not  Dark- 
nefs  therefore  Light,  and  Light  Darknefs  ?  But  it 
may  be  anfwered.  What  is  this  to  the  Purpofe  ?  Light 
is  Light,  as  Truth  is  Truth  ;  and  Darknefs  is  Darkr 
nefs,  as  what  is  Falfe  is  Falfe.     Take  another  Ex^ 
ample  ;  let  it  be  confirmed  that  a  Raven  is  w^hite  ; 
may  it  not  be  faid,  his  Blacknefs  is  only  a  Shade, 
■which  is  not  his  real  Colour  ?  his  Feathers  are  in^ 
wardly  white,  and  fo  is  his   Body  j  thefe  are  the 
Subflances  of  which  he  confifls  ;  fmce  his  Blacknefs 
is  only  a  Shade,  therefore  a  Raven  turns  white  when 
he  grov/s  old,  and  fome  fuch  have  been  feen  ;  what 
is  Black  in  itfelf  but  White  ?  Grind  black  Glafs,  and 
you  will  fee  that  the  Powder  is  white  ;  therefore 
when  you  call  a  Raven  black,  you  fpeak  from  the 
Shade  and  not  from  the  Reality  :  But  it  may  be 
anfwered,  what  is  this  to  the  Purpofe  ?  At  this  Rate 
it  might  be  faid   that  all  Birds  are  white.     Thefe 
Cafes,  although  they  are  contrary  to  found  Reafon, 
are  adduced,  to  the  End  it  may  be  feen,  that  Falfe* 
hood  diametrically  oppofite  to  Truth,  and  Evil  dia^. 
pietrically  oppofite  to  G004J,  may  be  coniirmedj, 

Secondly  ; 


The  Divine  Providence. 


479 


Secondly  :  That  when  the  Falfe  is  confirmed^  Truth 
does  not  appear  ;  but  that  from  confirmed  Truths  the 
Falfc  does  appear  :  All  Falfe  is  in  the  Dark,  and  all 
Truth  is  in  the  Light,  and  in  the  Dark  Nothing  ap- 
pears, yea  neither  can  it  be  known  what  it  is,  but  by 
feeling  it ;  not  fo  in  the  Light ;  wherefore  alfo,  in 
the  Word,  Falfes  are  called  Darknefs,  and  thence 
they  v;ho  are  in  Falfes,  are  faid  to  walk  in  Darknefs 
and  in  the  Shadow  of  Death  ;  and  on  the  other 
Hand,  Truths  are  there  called  Light,  and  thence 
they  who  are  in  Truths,  are  faid  to  walk  in  the 
Light,  and  are  called  the  Children  of  Light.  That 
when  the  Falfe  is  confirmed.  Truth  does  not  appear, 
and  that  from  confirmed  Truth,  the  Falfe  docs  ap- 
pear, is  evident  from  many  Confiderations ;  as  for 
Example,  who  would  fee  any  fpiritual  Truth  if  the 
Word  did  not  teach  it  ?  Would  not  thick  Darknefs 
prevail,  which  could  not  be  difpelled,  but  by  the 
Light  in  which  the  Word  is,  and  with  fuch  as  defir- 
ed  to  be  enlightened  ?  What  Heretic  can  fee  his 
own  Falfes,  except  he  admit  the  genuine  Truth  of 
the  Church  ?  He  does  not  fee  them  before  :  I  have 
difcourfed  with  thofe,  who  have  confirmed  them- 
felves  in  Faith  feparated  from  Charity,  and  when 
they  were  afked  whether  they  faw  fo  many  Things 
in  the  Word  about  Love  and  Charity,  about  Works 
and  Actions,  about  keeping  th(i  Commandments, 
and  that  he  is  happy  and  wife  who  doeth  them,  and 
he  is  fooliih  who  doth  not  do  them,  they  faid,  that 
when  they  read  thofe  Things,  they  faw  no  otherwile 
than  that  they  are  Faith,  and  fo  paffed  them  over, 
as  it  were  with  their  Eyes  fliut.  They  who  have 
confirmed  themfeives  in  Falfes,  are  like  thofe  who 

iiee 


480     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

fee  Images  pictured  on  a  Wall,  and  when  they  are 
in  the  Shade  of  Evening,  thofe  Pidures  feem  to  them 
in  their  Phantafy  like  a  Horfe  or  a  Man,  uhich 
vifionary  Image  is  dilpelled  by  the  influent  Light  of 
Day.     Who  can  perceive  the  fpiritual  Uncleannefs 
of  Adultery,  unlefs  he  is  in  the  fpiritual  Cleannefs 
of  Chaflity  ?  Who  can  feel  the  Cruelty  of  Revenge, 
but  he  who  is  in  Good  arifmg  from  neighbourly 
Love  r*  What  Adulterer,  or  v/hat  revengeful  Pcrfon, 
does  not  fneer  at  thofe,  who  call  their  Delights  in- 
fernal, and  on  the  other  Hand  the  Delights  of  con- 
jugal and  neighbourly  Love  celeftial,  and  fo  on  ? 
Thirdly  :   That  to  be  able  to  confirm  whatfoevcr  a 
Man  pleafes,  is  not  Intelligence^   but  only  Ingenuity^ 
which  may  take  Place  even  in  the  moji  ivickea  :  "111 ere 
are  fome  very  dexterous  Coniirmers,  who  do  not 
know  any  Truth, and  yet  can  confirm  both  Truth  and 
Falfehood  ;  and  fome  of  them  fay,  what  is  Truth  ? 
Is  there  any  fuch  Thing  exifling  ?  Is  not  that  Truth 
which  I  make  true  ?  And  neverthelefs  ihele  in  the 
World  are  thought  intelligent,  and  yet  they  are  on- 
ly Plaiflerers  of  the  Wall ;  no  others  are  intelligent, 
but  they  who  perceive  Truth  to  be  Truth,  and  con- 
firm the  fame  fey  Truths  continually  perceived  ; 
thefe  two  Kinds  of  Men  are  noteafily  diftinguilhed, 
becaufe  it  is  not  eafy  to   difiinguifli  between  the 
Lio-ht  of  Confirmation  and  the  Lij^ht  of  the  Percep- 
tion  of  Truth,  neither  doth  it  appear  otherwife  than 
that  they  who  are  in  the  Light  of  Confirmation,  are 
alfo  in  the  Light  of  the  Perception  of  Truth,  when 
neverthelefs  the  Differeuce  is  as  great  as  between 
the  Light  of  Infatuation  and  genuine  Light;  and 
the  Light  of  Infatuation  in  the  fpiritual  W^orld  is  of 

fuch 


The  Divine  Providi^nce.         481 

fuch  a  Nature,  that  it  is  turned  into  Darknefs  when 
genuine   Light  flows  in ;    fucli    infatuating  Light 
have   many  in  Hell,  who,  when  they  are  admit Lv'!!! 
into  genuine  Light,  fee  Nothing  at  all ;  from  which 
it  is  evident,  that  to  be  able  to  confirm  whatfoever  a 
Man  pleafes,  is  only  Ingenuity,  attainable  even  by 
the  moft  wicked.    Fou  rthly  :   Thai  there  may  be  in- 
tclleBual  Confirmation^  and  not  at  the  fame  Time  volun- 
tary ;  but  that  all  voluntary  Conjirmation  is  ai  the  fan:3 
Time  intellcdual :  Take  thefe  Examples  by  Way  of 
Illuftration  ;  they  who  confirm  Faith  feparate  frorii 
Charit)'',  and  yet  live  a  Life  of  Charity  ;  and  in  gen- 
eral they  who  confirm  the  Falfe  of  Do61:rine,  and 
yet  do  not  live  according  to  it,  are  thofe  who  are  in 
intellectual  Confirmation,  and  not  at  the  fame  Time 
in  voluntary  Confirmation  ;  but  they  who  confirm 
the  Falfe  of  Doctrine,  and  live  according  to  it,  are 
thofe  who  are  in  voluntary  and  at  the  fame  Time 
intelleclual  Confirmation :  The  Reafon  is,  becaufe 
the  Underftanding  doth  not  flow  into  the  Will,  but 
the  Will  into  the  Underftanding.     Hence  alfo  it  is 
evident,  what  the  Falfe  of  Evil  is,  and  what  the 
Falfe  which  is  not  of  Evil ;  the  Reafon  why  the 
Falfe  which  is  not  of  Evil  can  be  conjoined  with 
Good,  but  not  the  Fahe  of  Evil,  is,  becaufe  the 
Falfe  which  is  not  of  Evil  is  the-  Falfe  in  the  Un- 
derftanding and  not  in  the  Will,  and  the  Falfe  of 
Evil  is  the  Falfe  in  the  Underftanding  from  Evil  in 
the  Vv'ill.     Fifthly  :  That  the  voluntary  and  at  the 
fame  Ti?ne  intelleclual  Confir?nai!on  of  Evil  caufeth  Man 
to  think  fe If- derived  Prudence  is  J II,  and  the  Divine 
Providence  Nothing  ;  but  not  the  intelledual  Confrma- 
it  on  thereof  alone.     There  are  many  who  confirm  tha 
N  N  n  Efikacy 


482       AnGLLIC    AVlSDOM    CONCERNING 

EfTicacy  of  felf- derived  Prudence  in  themfelvcs  from 
i\ppearances  in  the  vVorld,  but  yet  do  not  deny  the 
Divine  Providence;  their's  is  only  intellectual  Con- 
lirination  ;  whereas  fuch  as  deny  at  the  fame  Time 
the  Divine  Providence,  their's  is  voluntary  Confir- 
mation alfo  ;  but  this  lalt,  together  with  Perfuafion, 
takes  Place  principally  in  thofe  who  are  WorHnp- 
pers  of  Nature,  and  at  the  fame  Time  WorOiippcrs 
of  themrdves.  Sixthly  ;  That  every  Thing  con- 
frmcd  bj  the  WiH,  and  at  thcja.me  Time  by  the  Under- 
Jl^ndh^i^  Is  permanent  to  Eternity  ;  but  not  that  ivhich 
is  only  coitfir?ned by  the  Unclcrjlanding;  for  that  which 
is  of  the  UnderlhrnJing  only,  is  not  in  Man,  but 
without  him,  inafmuch  as  it  is  only  in  his  Thoaght, 
and  Nothing  enters  into  Man^  and  is  appropriated 
to  him,  but  what  is  received  by  the  Will,  for  this  be- 
com.es  of  his  Life's  Love  ;  that  this  abideth  to  E- 
ternity,  fhall  be  fhewn  in  the  next  Number. 

319.  The  Reafcn  why  every  Thing  confnmed  in 
the  Will,  and  at  the  fame  Time  by  the  Underfland- 
inc^,  abideth  to  Eternity,  is,  becaufe  every  one  is 
his  own  Love,  and  his  Love  is  of  his  Will ;  alfo  be- 
caufe every  Man  is  his  own  Good  or  his  own  Evil, 
for  all  that  is  called  Good  which  is  of  the  Love,  the 
fame  with  Rcfpect  to  Evi!.  Forafm.uch  as  Man  is 
his  own  Love,  he  is  alfo  the  Form  of  his  own 
Love,  and  may  be  called  the  Organ  of  his  Life's 
Love.  It  was  faid  above,  n.  279,- that  the  Aifec- 
rions  of  Man's  Love  and  the  Thoughts  derived 
from  them  are  Changes  and  Variations  of  the  State 
and  Form  of  the  organic  Subilances  of  his  Mind, 
and  it  (l^iall  now  be  fnevvn  what  the  Nature  and 
Qualily  of  thofc  Changes  is  \  an  Idea  of  them  may 

be 


The  Divine  Providence.         4S3 

be  had  from  the  Heart  and  Lungs,  in  that  there  are 
alternate  Expavifions  and  Compreirions,  or  l)ilar:v 
tions  and  Contracllons,  which  in  the  Heart  are  called 
its  Syftole  and  Diallolc,  in  the  Lungs  Refpirations ; 
v'hich  arc  reciprocal  Extemlons  and  Retra^lions,  or 
Diilenfions  and  Coarclations  of  its  Lobes ;  thcfe  are 
the  Changes  and  Variations  of  the  State  of  the  Heart 
^nd  Lungs :  The  like  takes  Place  in  the  other  Vifcera 
of  the  Body,  and  alfo  in  the  Parts  thereof,  by  which 
the  Blood  and  animal  Juices  are  rectived  and  circu- 
lated.   There  are  alfo  fimilar  Changes  and  Variations 
of  State  in  the  organic  Forms  of  the  Mind,  which 
are  theSubjevSts  of  iVIan's  Affeclions  and  Thoughts, as 
was  (hewn  above ;    w^th   this   DitFerence,  that  the 
Expanfions  and  CompreiTions,  or  Reciprocations  of 
the  latter,  are  refpcdlvely  in  fo  much  greater  Per- 
fection, that  they  cannot  be  exprelTed  in  Words  of 
natural  Language,  but  only  in  Vv'ords  of  fpirituaJ 
Language,  which  can  only  import,  that  tliey  are 
vortical  Ingyrations,  and  Egyrations,  after  the  Man- 
ner of  perpetual  fpiral  Circurnflexloiis,  wonderfully 
confafciculated  into  FormrS  receptive  of  Life.     But 
the  Nature  of  thefe  purely  organic  Subilanccs  and 
Forms  in  the  Wicked  and  in  the  Good  fhall  now 
be  explained  ;  with  the  Good  they  are  fpirally  con- 
voluted forwards,  but  wllh  the  Vv^icked  backwards, 
and  thofe  which  are  fpirally  convoluted  forwards  are 
turned  to  the  Lord,   and  receive  Inilux  from  him  ; 
but  thofe  which  are  fpirally  convoluted  backwards, 
are  turned   towards  H^ll,  and  receive  Influx  from 
thence  :  It  is  to  be  noted,  that  in  Proportion  as  they 
are  turned  backwards,  in  the  fame  Proportion  they 
arc  open  behind,  und  clofed  before,  but  o::  the  con- 
trary. 


484      Angelic  Wisdom  coisTcerning 

trary,  that  in  Proportion  as  they  are  turned  forwards, 
in  the  fame  Proportion  they  are  open  before,  and 
clofed  behind.  Hence  it  may  appear,  what  Kind  of 
a  Form,  or  what  Kind  of  an  Organ  a  wicked  Man 
is,  and  what  Kind  of  a  Form,  or  what  Kind  of  an 
Organ  a  good  Man  is,  and  that  they  are  turned  con- 
trarywife  j  and  forafmuch  as  an  Inverfion  once  in- 
duced cannot  be  retwifted,  it  is  evident  that  fuch  as 
it  is  when  a  Man  dies,  fuch  it  remains  to  Eternity  : 
It  is  the  Love  of  Man's  Will,  which  makes  this 
Turning,  or  which  converts  and  inverts,  for,  as  w^as 
faid  above,  every  Man  is  his  own  Love  ;  hence  it  is, 
that  every  one  after  Death  goeth  in  the  Way  of 
his  Love  ;  he  who  is  in  good  Love  to  Heaven,  and 
he  who  is  in  evil  Love  to  Hell,  neither  doth  he  reft 
till  he  is  in  that  Society  where  his  ruling  Love  is ; 
and  what  is  wonderful,  every  one  knows  the  Way, 
as  though  he  fmelt  it  with  his  Nofc. 

320.  IV.  That  if  Man  would  believe ^  ichich  is  the 
Truths  that  every  Thing  good  and  true  is  from  the 
Lord^  and  every  Thing  evil  and  faJfe  is  from  HcU^  he 
"would  neither  appropriate  Good  to  hinfelf  and  make  it 
weritoricus^  nor  would  he  appropriate  to  himfelf  Evil^ 
and  make  himfelf  ginlty  of  it.  But  forafmuch  as  thefe 
Things  are  contrary  to  the  Behef  of  thofe,  who 
have  confirmed  in  themfelves  the  Appearance,  that 
Wifdom  and  Prudence  are  from  Man,  and  do  not 
fiow^  in  according  to  the  State  of  the  Mind's  Organ- 
ization, treated  of  above,  n.  319,  therefore  they 
flriall  be  demondrated ;  and  that  it  may  be  done 
diilinclly,  the  following  Order  (hall  be  obferved.  i. 
That  he  who  ^confirms  in  himfelf  the  Appearance, 
that  Wifgom  and  Prudence  are  from   Man   and 

thence 


The  Divine  Providence.         4S5 

tlience  In  hitn  as  his  own,  cannot  fee  other  wife,  than 
that  if  this  were  not  the  Cafe,,  he  would  not  be 
Man,  but  either  a  Beall  or  a  Statue ;  when  never- 
thelefs  the  contrary  is  true.  2.  That  to  believe  and 
think,^  what  is  the  Truth,  that  every  Thing  good  and 
true  is  from  the  Lord,  and  that  every  Thing  evil 
and  falfe  is  from  Hell,  appears  to  be  impofiible, 
when  never thelefs  it  is  truly  human  and  thence  an- 
gelic. 3.  That  fo  to  believe  and  think  is  impofTible 
to  thofe,  who  do  not  acknowledge  the  Lord's  Divin- 
ity, and  who  do  not  acknowledge  Evils  to  be  Sins ; 
but  that  it  is  pofTible  to  thofe,  who  acknowledge 
thofe  two  Things.  4.  That  they  who  are  in  the 
Acknowledgment  of  thefe  two  Things,  only  refled 
upon  Evils  in  themfelves,  and  cad  them  out  from 
themfelves,  into  Hell  from  whence  they  come,  in 
Proportion  as  they  il:un  and  hold  them  in  Averfion 
as  Sins.  5.  That  thus  the  Divine  Providence  nei- 
ther appropriates  Evil  nor  Good  to  any  one,  but 
that  felf-derived  Prudence  appropriates  both. 

321.  But  thefe  Articles  fliall  be  explained  in  the 
Order  propofed.  First:  T/jat  he  \vbo  confrr/is  in 
h'mfelf  the  Appearance^  that  Wifdoru  and  Prudence  are 
from  Man^  and  thence  in  him  as  his  own^  cannot  fee 
oiherwife^  than  that  if  this  ivere  not  the  Caf\  he 
vjoidd  not  be  a  Man,  but  either  a  Bcaji  or  a  Statue  ; 
when  nevsrthelefs  the  contrary  is  true.  It  is  a  Law  of 
the  Divine  Providence,  that  Man  fhould  think  as 
from  himfelf,  and  that  he  fhould  adl  prudently  as 
from  himfelf,  but  yet  fhould  acknowledge  that  he 
doeth  fo  from  the  Lord  ;  iience  it  follov^s,  that  he 
who  thinks  and  acts  prudently  as  from  himielf,  and 
at  the  fame  Time  acknowledges  that  he  dncs  l"o 

from 


486     Angelic  Wisdom  cokcerking 

from  the  Lord,  the  fame  Is  a  Man,  but  not  he  who 
confirms  in  himfelf  an  Idea,  that  all  that  he  thinks 
and  does   is  from  himfelf;    nor  he,  who,  becaufe 
he  knoweth  that  Wifdom  and  Prudence  are  from 
God,  waits  for  Influx  ;  for  the  latter  becomes  like 
a  Statue^  and  the  former  like  a  Bead  :  That  he  who 
waits  for  Influx  is  hke  a  Statue,  is  evident ;   for  he 
muft  (land  or  fit  motionlefs,  with  his  Hands  han^-^- 
ing  down,  and  his  Eyes  either  fliut  or  wide  open 
without  Motion,  neither  thinking  nor  breathing  ; 
and  what  Life  in  fuch  Cafe  is  there  in  him  ?    That 
he  who  believes  that  all  he  thinks  and  does,  is  from 
himfelf,  is  not  unhke  a  Beafl:,  may  alfo  be  evident ; 
for  he  thinks  only  from  the  natural  Mind,  which 
Man  hath  in  common  with  Beads,  and  not  from  the 
rational  fpiritual  Mind,  which  is   the  Mind  truly 
human  ;  for  this  latter  Mind  acknowledges,  that 
God  only  thinks  from  himfelf,  and  that  Man  thinks 
from  God  ;  vvherefore  alfo  Men  of  that  Defcription 
[who  think  only  from  the  natural  Mind]  know  no  Dif- 
ference between  Man  and  Beafl^  except  that  a  Man 
ijDeaks  and  a  Beafl:  utters  Sounds,  and  imagine  that 
they  both  die  alike.     Of  thofe  who  wait  for  Influx, 
it  may  be  expedient  to  obferve  further,  that  they  do 
not  receive  any  Influx^  except  a  fev/  who  from  their 
Hearts   defire  it  ;    thefe   fometimes    receive   fome 
Anfwer  by  Hvely  Perception  in  Thought,  or  by  tacit 
Speech  therein,  and  rarely  by  any  manifcfl;  Speech, 
and  then  it  is  to  this  Effed,  that  they  may  think 
and  -dO:  as  they  will  or  as  they  can,  and  that  he  who 
ads  wifely  is  a  wife  Man,  and  he  who  ads  fooiiflily 
is  a  Fool ;  and  they  are  never  infl.ruded  what  they 
ought  to  believe  and  what  they  ought  to  do ;    and 

this 


The  Divine  Providence.         487 

tills  to  the  End  that  human  Rationality  and  Liber- 
ty may  not  be  deftroyed,  which  confifls  in  every 
one's  ading  from  Free-Will  according  to  Rcafon, 
to  all  Appearance  as  from  himfelf.  They  who  arc 
inftrud:ed  by  Influx  what  they  ought  to  believe  and 
to  do,  are  not  inihudL'd  by  the  Lord,  nor  by  any 
Angel  of  Heaven,  but  by  fome  Spirit  of  an  Enthu- 
fiafl,  Quaker,  or  Moravian,  and  are  feduced.  All 
Influx  from  the  Lord  is  eileded  by  Illumination  cf 
the  Underftanding,  and  by  the  AfFedion  of  Truth, 
and  by  the  Influx  of  the  latter  into  the  former. 
Secondly  :  That  to  believe  and  think  what  is  the 
Truth^  thiit  every  Thing  good  and  true  is  from  the 
Lord  J  and  that  every  Thing  evil  and  falfe  is  from 
Hell^  appears  to  be  inipo/Jtble  ;  when  neverthelefs  it  is 
truly  human  and  thence  angelic.  To  beheve  and  think 
that  every  Thing  good  and  true  is  from  God,  ap- 
pears pollible,  provided  Nothing  further  be  faid  ; 
the  Reafon  is,  becaufe  it  is  conforniable  to  theologi- 
cal Faith,  againfl  which  it  is  not  allowable  to  think  ; 
but  to  believe  and  think  that  every  Thing  evil 
and  falfe  is  from  Hell,  appears  impoiTible,  becaufe 
in  this  Cafe  it  would  alfo  be  believed,  that  Mail 
could  think  Nothing ;  neverthelefs  Man  thinks  as 
from  himfcif,  although  from  Hell,  becaufe  it  is  the 
Gift  of  the  Lord  to  every  one,  that  Thought, 
whencei^oever  it  comes,  may  appear  in  him  as  his 
own,  otherwife  Man  would  not  Kve  as  Man,  neitiier 
could  he  be  brought  out  cf  Hell,  and  introduced 
into  Heaven,  that  is  to  fay,  reformed,  as  is  abun- 
dantly ihev/n  above  :  Wherefore  alfo  the  Lord  giv- 
eth  Man  to  know,  and  thence  to  think,  that  he  is  in 
Hell  if  he  is  in  Evil,  and  that  he  thinks  from  Hell 

if 


488     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

if  he  thinks  from  Evil ;  and  moreover  he  cjiveth 
him  to  think  of  the  Means  whereby  he  may  efcapa 
out  of  Hell,  and  not  think  from  thence,  but  enter 
into  Heaven  and  there  think  from  the  Lord  ;  raid 
he  likewife  giveth  Man  Freedom  of  Election  ;  'from 
which  Coniiderations  it  may  be  feen,  that  Man  can 
think  what  is  Evil  and  Falfe  as  from  himfelf,  and 
can  alfo  think  that  the  one  and  the  other  is  Evil 
and  Falfe ;  confequently  that  it  is  only  an  Appear- 
ance that  it  is  from  himfelf,  without  which  Appear- 
ance Man  would  not  be  Man.  The  eifential  hu- 
man Principle  and  thence  the  angelic  confifts  in 
thinkirfg  from  the  Truth,  and  this  is  the  Truth, 
that  Man  doth  not  think  from  himfeif,  but  that  it 
is  given  him  by  the  Lord  to  think,  in  all  Appear- 
ance as  from  himfelf.  Thirdly:  That  fo  to  believe 
and  think  Hs  impoffihk  to  ihofe^  ivho  do  7iGt  acknowledge 
the  LordJs  Divinity^  and  ivho  do  not  achiowlcdge 
Evils  to  be  Sins  ;  arid  that  it  is  pojjible  to  thofe  zvho 
acknowledge  thcfe  two  Things.  The  Reafon  why  it 
is  impofiihle  to  thofj  who  do  not  acknowledge  the 
Lord's  Divininty,  is,  becaufe  the  Lord  only  giveth 
Man  to  think  and  will,  and  they  who  do  not  ac- 
knowledge the  Lord's  Divinity,  being  feparated 
from  him,  imagine  that  they  think  from  themfelves : 
The  Reafon  why  it  is  alfo  impoffible  to  thofe  who 
do  not  acknowledge  that  Evils  are  Sins,  is,  becaufe 
they  think  from  Hell,  and  every  one  there  fuppofcs 
that  he  thinks  from  himfelf.  But  that  it  is  poUible 
to  thof^  who  acknowledge  the  Lord's  Divinity,  and 
that  Evils  are  Sins,  may  appear  from  whzi  hath 
been  abundantly  adduced  above,  n.  288  to  294. 
Fourthly  :  That  they  who  are  in  the  Acknozvledg- 

meni 


The  DiviNlE  Providence,        489 

vient  of  thofe  two  Things^  only  refieB  upon  Evils  in 
themfdves^  and  cajl  them  out  into  Hell  from  whence 
they  come^  in  Proportion  as  they  jhuh  and  hold  them 
in  Avcrfion  as  Sins.     Who  doth  not  or  may  not 
know,  that  Evil  is  from  Hell,  and  that  Good  is 
from  Heaven  ?    And  who  may  not  thence  knov/, 
that  in  Proportion  as  Man  fliunneth  and  holdeth 
Evil  in  Averfion,  in  the  fame  Proportion  he  fhun- 
heth  and  holdeth  Hell  in  Averfion  ?  And  who  may 
not  thence  know,  that  in  Proportion  as  any  one 
fhunneth  and  holdeth  Evil  in  Averfion,  in  the  fame 
Proportion  he  willeth  and  loveth  Good,  therefore 
that  in  the  fame  Proportion  he  is  brought  out  of 
Hell  by  the  Lord,  and  led  to  Heaven  ?  Thefe  Things 
every  rational  Man  may  fee  plainly,  provided  he 
knows  that  there  is  a  Heaven  and  a  Hell,  and  that 
Evil  and  Good  have  each  their  feparate  Origin  ; 
now  if  Man  refleds  upon  Evils  in  himfelf,  which  is 
the  fame  Thing  as  to  examine  himfelf,  and  (hunneth 
them,  then  he  difengageth  himfelf  from  Hell,  and 
cafteth  it  behind  him,  and  introduceth  himfelf  into 
Heaven,  and  there  feeth  the  Lord  Face  to  Face ; 
it  is  faid  that  Man  doeth  this,  but  he  only  docth  it 
feemingly  from  himfelf,    and  therefore  from   the 
Lord.    When  Man  acknowledgeih  this  Truth  from 
a  good  Heart  and   pious  Faith,  then  it   lieth  in- 
wardly concealed  in  every  Thing  that  he  thinketh 
and  doeth  afterwards  as  from  himfelf,  like  the  pro- 
lific [Qi^ality]  in  Seed,  which  internally  accompa- 
nies it  even  until  the  Produdion  of  new  Seed  ;  and 
like  the  Pleafure  of  Appetite  for  that  Food  which 
a  Man  hath  once  found  to  be  falutary  ;  in  a  Word, 
it  is  like  the  Heart  and  Soul  in  every  Tiling  that  he 
X)  o  0  thinketh 


4§o    Angelic  Wisdom  ccncer^in^ 

thinketh  and  doeth.  Fifthly  :  Tbai  thus  the  Divine 
Providence  neither  appropriates  Evil  nor  Good  to  any 
one  J  but  that  Jlif-derived  Prudence  appropriates  both  : 
This  follows  as  a  Confequence  of  all  that  hath  been 
jTaid  :  The  End  of  the  Divine  Providence  is  Good ; 
this  therefore  k  intendeth  in  every  Operation  ; 
■wherefore  it  doth  not  appropriate  Good  to  any  one, 
for  thereby  fuch  Good  would  become  meritorious ; 
neither  doth  it  appropriate  Evil  to  any  one,  for 
thereby  it  would  make  him  gnilty  of  Evil :  Never- 
thelefs  Man  doeth  both  from  his  Proprium,  becaufe 
that  is  Nothing  but  Evil ;  the  Proprium  of  his 
Will  is  Self-Love,  and  the  Proprium  of  his  Un- 
derftanding  is  the  Pride  of  felf-derived  Intelligence^ 
and  from  the  latter  proceeds  felf-derived  Prudence, 

That  every  Man  viay  be  reformed^  and 
that  there  is  no  fuch  Thing  as  Predef 

tination* 

322.  O  OUND  Reafon  dilates  that  AH  are  pre- 
^^  deftined  to  Pleaven,  and  none  to  Hell ; 
for  all  are  born  Men,  and  thence  the  Image  of  God 
is  in  them ;  the  Image  of  God  in  them  confifts  in 
their  being  able  to  uhderfland  Truth,  and  to  do 
Good ;  to  be  able  to  underiland  Truth  is  from  the 
Divine  Wifdom,  and  10  be  able  to  do  Good  is  from 
the  Divine  Love ;  this  Power  is  the  Image  of  God, 
which  abideth  in  a  Man  of  found  Mind,  and  is  not 
eradicated  ;  hence  it  is,  that  he  can  be  made  .a  civil 

and 


The  Divine  Providence.         491 

^nd  moral  Man,  and  he  who  is  a  civil  and  moral 
Man,  the  lame  can  alio  be  made  fpiritual,  for  what 
is  civil  and  moral  is  the  Receptacle  of  what  is  fpirit- 
Vial ;  he  is  called  a  civil  Man,  who  kiioweth  the 
I.aws  of  his  Kingdom  whereof  he  is  a  Citizen,  and 
Jiveth  according  to  them  ;  and  he  is  called  a  moral 
Man,  who  maketh  thofe  Laws  his  Mor^^ls,  and  his 
Virtues,  and  liveth  conformably  to  them  from  Rea- 
fon.  I  will  now  fell  you  how  civil  and  moral  Life 
is  a  Receptacle  of  fpiritual  Life ;  live  according 
to  thofe  Laws  not  only  conndered  as  civil  and 
Xnoral  Law^,  but  alfo  as  Divine  Laws,  and  you  will 
be  a  fpiritual  Man.  There  fcarcely  exids  a  Natioa 
fo  barbarous,  as  not  to  have  given  the  Sandion  of 
its  Laws  to  the  Prohibition  againil:  committing 
Murder,  corrupting  the  Wife  of  at:other,  itealingj 
falfe  Teftimony,  and  the  Violation  of  whatever  be- 
longs to  another  ;  thefe  Laws  the  civil  and  moral 
Man  obferves,  in  Order  that  he  may  be,  or  feem  to 
be,  a  good  Citizen  ;  but  if  he  doth  not  at  the  fame 
Time  confider  thefe  Laws  as  Divine,  he  is  only  ^ 
^ivil  and  moral  natural  Man,  whereas  if  he  conhders 
them  as  Divine,  he  becomes  a  civil  and  moral  fpirii- 
ual  Man ;  the  Difference  is,  that  the  latter  is  not 
only  a  good  Citizen  of  an  earthly  Kingdom,  but 
alfo  a  good  Citizen  of  the  heavenly  Kingdom,, 
'\yhereas  the  former  is  a  good  Citizen  of  an  earthly 
Kingdom,  but  not  of  the  heavenly  Kingdom  :  The 
Goods  which  they  do,  diih'nguiili  them  ;  the  Goods 
^yhich  civil  and  moral  natural  Men  do,  are  not 
Qoods  in  themfelves,  for  the  Man  and  the  World 
^s  in  them;  whereas  the  Goods,  which  civil  and 
moral  fpiritual  Men  do,  are  m  ihemfelves  Goods,, 

becaufe 


49^     Angelic  Wisdom  concirning 

becaiife  the  Lord  and  Heaven  is  in  them.    Hence  it  is. 
evident  that  every  Man,  fmce  he  is  born  fuch  that  he 
can  be  made  a  civil  and  moral  natural  Man,  is  alfo 
born  fuch  as  that  he  can  be  made  a  civil  and  moral 
fpiritual  Man  5  it  is  only  acknowledging  God, and  not 
doIngEvils  becauie  they  are  inOppofition  to  God, but 
doing  Good  becaufe  it  is  in  Favour  of  God  ;  hereby. 
Spirit  entercth  into  Man's  civil  and  moral  Aftions,  and 
they  receive  Life  ;  but  without  it,  there  is  no  Spirit 
in  them,  and  therefore  they  have  no  Life ;  where- 
fore the  natural  Man,  however  civilly  and  morally 
he  may  a<5t,  is  called  dead,  but  the  fpiritual;  Man  is 
called  alive.     It  is  of  the  Divine  Providence  of  the 
Lord,  that  every  Nation  hath  fome  Religion,  and 
the  Foundation  of  all  Religion  is  an  Acknowledg- 
ment that  ther»^  is  a  God,  for  otherwife  it  is  not 
called  a  Religion  ;   and  every  Nation,  which  lives, 
according  to  its  Religion,  that  is,  which  doth  not  da 
Evil  becaufe  it  is  agajnft  its  God,  receiveth  Some- 
thing  fpiritual  into,  its  natural   Principle.      What 
Perfon,  when  he  heareth  any  Gentile  fay,  he  wil\ 
not  do  this  or  that  becaufe  it  is  againfi:  his  G.od^ 
doth  not  fay  within  himfelf,  Will  not  this  Man  be 
faved  ?  it  appears  as  if  it  could  not  be  otherwife  ; 
this  found  Reafon  di^lares  to  himo     And  on  the. 
other  Hand,  what  Perfon,  when  he  heareth  a  Chrif- 
tian  fay,  1  make  no  Account  of  this  or  that  Evil, 
what  doth  it  fignify  its  being  faid  to  be  againfi  God, 
doth  not  fay  within  himfelf,  Can  this  Man  be  faved  ? 
it  appears  aa  if  he  coiikl  not  j  this  alfo  found  Rea- 
fon  didates  :    If  he  faith,  I  was  born  a  Chriftian, 
baptized,  knov/  the  Lord,  have  read  the  Word, 
received  the  Sacrament ;  do  thefe  Things  avail  any 
•  Things  v/hen  he  brr^athes  Murder,  or  Revenge  lead- 
ing: 


The  Divjne  Providence.         493 

{ng  to  Murder,  and  doth  not  confider  as  Sins,  AduU 
tery,  fecret  Theft,  falfe  Teilimony,  or  Lies,  and  va- 
rious Violences  ;  doth  Rich  a  one  think  any  Thing 
of  God  or  of  Life  eternal  ?  Doth  he  think  that 
they  have  any  Exiflence  ?  Doth  not  found  Reafou 
didate,  that  fuch  a  one  cannot  be  faved  ?  Thefe 
Things  are  faid  of  the  Chriftian,  becaufe  the  Gentib 
thinks  more  of  God  from  Rehgion  in  his  Life  than 
the  Chriftian  doth.  But  of  this  more  fhall  be  faid 
telow  in  the  following  Order.  i.  That  the  End 
of  Creation  is  a  Heaven  out  of  the  human  Race. 
2.  That  thence  it  is  of  the  Divine  Providence,  that 
^very  Man  is  capable  of  being  faved,  a,nd  that  they 
are  (aved,  who  acknowledge  a  God  and  lead  a  good 
I^ife.  3.  That  it  is  a  Man's  own  Fault,  if  he  is  not 
faved.  4.  That  thus  all  ^re  predeftined  to  Heaven, 
and  none  to  Hell. 

2,2  7^,  L  T/mt  the  End  of  Creation  is  a  Heaven  oid 
qfthe  humayi  Race,  That  Heaven  doth  not  confid 
pf  any  others,  than  fuch  as  wei<e  born  Men,  is  Ihewn 
in  the  Work  concerning  Heaven  and  Hell,  pub- 
Jifhed  at  London,  Anno  1758,  and  alfo  above  ;  and 
forafmuch  aa  Heaven  doth  not  confifl  of  any  others, 
it  follows  that  the  End  of  Creation  is  a  Heaven  out; 
of  the  human  Race,  That  this  was  the  End  of 
Creation,  was  indeed  ihewn  above,  n.  27  to  j.5  ; 
but  the  fame  will  be  feen  ftill  more  manifellly  from 
an  Explanation  of  the  following  Points.  1.  That 
every  Man  is  created  to  Hve  to  Eternity.  2.  That 
every  Man  is  created  to  live  to  Eiernity  in  a  State 
of  Happinefs.  3.  That  therefore  every  Mjii  is  cre- 
ated to  go  to  Heaven.     4.  That  the  Divine  Love  can-- 

not 


494 


Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 


not  do  otherwife  than  defire  it,  and  that  the  Divinq 
Wifdom  cannot  do  otherwife  than  provide  for  it. 

324.  Inafrnuch  as  from  thefe  ConfiderarioTis  it 
may  alfo  be  feen  that  the  Divine  Providence  is  no 
other  Predeflination  than  to  Heaven,  and  that  neither 
can  it  be  changed  into  any  other,  it  is  here  to  be 
demonftrated,  that  the  End  of  Creation  is  a  Heaven 
out  of  the  human  Race,  in  the  Order  propofed. 
First  :  That  every  Man  is  created  to,  live  to  Eter- 
nity. In  the  Treatife  concerning  The  Divine 
Love  and  the  Divine  Wisdom,  Part  the  Thir4 
and  Fifth,  it  is  fiiewn,  that  in  Man  there  are  three 
Degrees  of  Life,  which  are  called  natural,  fpiritual, 
•and  celeilial,  and  that  thefe  Degrees  are  adually  in 
every  one  ;  and  that  in  Beafts  there  is  only  one 
Pegree  of  Life,  which  is  iimilar  to  the  ultimate 
Degree  in  Man,  called  Natural ;  from  which  it  fol- 
lows, that  Man,  by  the  Elevation  of  his  Life  to  the 
Lord,  is  capable  (which  Beads  are  not)  of  being- 
brought  into  fuch  a  State,  as  to  be  able  to  under- 
ftand  fuch  Things  as  are  of  the  Divine  Wifdom, 
and  to  will  fuch  Things  as  are  of  the  Divine  Love, 
confequently  to  receive  the  Divine  [Influx,]  and  he 
who  can  receive  the  Divine  [Influx,3  fo  as  to  fee 
and  perceive  it  in  himfelf,  cannot  be  otherwife  than 
conjoined  with  the  Lord,  and  from  that  Conjunc- 
tion cannot  but  live  to  Eternity.  What  would  the 
Lord  be  wdth  all  his  Creation  of  the  Univerfe,  if  he 
had  not  alio  created  Images  and  LikeneiTes  of  him- 
felf, to  whom  he  might  communicate  his  Divine 
[Influence  ?]  In  any  other  Cafe,  would  it  not  be 
like  making  Something  to  be,  and  not  to  be,  or  to, 
exifl,  and  not  to  exifl;,  and  this  for  no  other  Pur- 

pofe. 


^The  Divine  Providence.         495 

pofe,  but  that  he  might  contemplate  at  a  Diftancc 
a  mere  Shifiiiig  of  Scenes,  and  continual  Variations 
as  upon  a  Theatre  ?  Of  what  Ufe  would  the  Divine 
[Principle]  be  in  them,  unlefs  it  were  to  the  End 
that  they  might  ferve  as  Subjects  to  receive  it  more 
nearly,  and  to  fee  and  feel  it  ?  And  forafmuch  as  the 
Divine  [Being]  is  a  Being  of  inexhaudible  GloVy, 
would  he  keep  it  to  himfeifj  or  indeed  could  he  ? 
For  Love  wifheth  to  communicate  its  own  to  anoth- 
er, yea,-  to  give  as  much  of  its  own  as  it  can  ;  what 
then  mud  the  Divine  Love  do,  which  is  infinite  ? 
Can  fuch  Love  give,  and  then  take  away  again  ? 
Would  not  this  be  to  give  what  is  to  perilh,  which 
in  itfelf  is  not  any  l^hing  internally^  becaufe  when 
it  perillieth  it  becometh  Nothing,  there  not  being 
in  it  that  which  Is ;  but  he  giveth  what  Is,  or  what 
doth  not  ceafe  to  be,  and  that  is  eternal.  In  Order' 
that  every  Man  may  live  to  Eternity,  what  i&  mortal 
about  him  is  taken  away,  viz.  his  material  Body, 
which  is  taken  away  by  Death  ;  thus  his  immortal 
Part,  which  is  his  Mind,  is  dripped  necked,  and  theii 
he  becometh  a  Spirit  in  a  human  Form,  his  Mind 
being  that  Spirit.  That  the  Mind  of  Man  cannot 
die,  the  Sages,  or  wife  Men  of  Antiquity,  law  very 
plainly  ;  for  they  faid,  hov/  can  the  Soul  or  Mind 
die,  when  it  has  the  Faculty  of  acquiring  Wifdom  ? 
Their  interior  Idea  on  this  Subjedl:  is  known  only 
to  few  at  this  Day,  but  it  defcended  into  their  com- 
mon Perception  from  Heaven,  and  was  this,  that 
God  is  Wifdom  itfelf,  whereof  Man  is  a  Partaker^ 
and  that  God  is  immortal  or  eternal.  Forafmuch 
as  it  hath  been  given  me  to  converfe  with  Angels, 
I  will  alio  relate  Something  on  this  Subject  from  Ex- 
perience j 


496     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

lience  ;  1  have  cbnverfed  with  fome  who  lived  vmnf 
Ages  ago,  with  fome  who  lived  before  the  Deluge^ 
and  fome  after  the  Deluge,  and  with  fome  who  lived 
in  the  Lord's  Time,  and  with  one  of  his  Apoflles,  and 
with  many  who  lived  in  the  fucceeding  AgeSj  and 
they  all  feenied  like  Men  of  a  middle  Age,  and  faid 
that  they  know  not  what  Death  is^  but  only  that 
there  is  fuch  a  Thing  as  Damnation,  Moreover  all 
who  have  led  a  good  Life,  when  they  go  to  Heaven^ 
enter  into  their  juvenile  Age  in  the  World,  and 
continue  in  it  to  Eternity,  eveii  thofe  who  v/ere  old 
and  decrepid  in  the  World  ^  and  Women,  although 
they  had  been  wrinkled  and  antiquated,  return  to 
the  Flower  of  their  Youth  and  Beauty;  That  Man 
after  Death  liveth  to  Eternity,  is  evident  from  the 
Word,  where  Life  in  Heaven  is  called  Life  ever^ 
lading,  as  in  Matthew  xix.  29,  Chap.  xky.  46, 
Markx.  i^»  Luke  x.  25.  Chap,  xviii.  30^  John 
iii.  15,  16,  2,^.  Chap.  v.  24,  25,  39.  Chap.  vi„ 
27,  40,  68.  Chap.  xii.  50;  Alfo  fnnply  Life, 
Matt,  xviii.  8,  9.  John  \%  40.  Chap.  xx.  31/ 
The  Lord  faid  alfo  to  his  Difciples,  "  Becaufe  I  live, 
ye  fhall  live  alfo,''  John  xiv.  19  :  And  concerning 
the  Refurrection,  that  "  God  is  the  God  of  the  liv- 
ing, and  not  the  God  of  the  dead  •/'  alfo,  "  that 
they  cannot  die  any  more,"  Luke  xx.  36,  38. 
Secondly  :  Tbcit  every  Man  is  created  to  live  td 
Eternity  in  a  State  of  Happincfs^  follows  of  Courfe  ; 
for  he  who  willeth  that  Man  ihould  live  to  Eternity^ 
xv'illeth  alfo  that  he  (hould  Hve  in  a  State  of  Happi- 
nefs  ;  what  would  eternal  Life  be  without  it  ?  All 
Love  willeth  or  defireth  the  Good  of  another,  the 
Love  of  Parents  defireth  the  Good  of  Children,  the 

Love 


Tkfe  DiViJ^E  Provibenge:.        4^y 

Love  of  the  Bridegroom  and  of  the  Hufband  de- 
iirethjthe  Good  of  the  Bride  and  the  Wife,  and  the 
Love  of  Friend  (hip  defireth  the  Good  of  Friends  ; 
"What  then  muft  not  the  Divine  Love  do  ?    And 
what  i^  Good  but  Delight  ?  and  what  Divine  Good 
but  eternal  Beatitude  ?   All  Good  is  called  Good 
from  hs  Delight  or  Beatitude  :  That  indeed  which 
is  given  and  poirefTed  is  called  Good,  but  unlefs  it 
be  alfo  delightful,  it  is  fterile  Good,  which  is  not 
Good  in  itfelf ;  hence  it  appears  that  eternal  Life 
is  alfo  eternal  Beatitude.     This  State  of  Man  is  the 
End  and  Purpofe  of  Creation  5  that  they  only,  who 
go  to  Heaven,  ate  in  this  State,  is  not  the  Lord's 
Faultj  but  the  Fault  of  Man  ^  that  the  Fault  is  in 
Man,  will  be  feen  in  what  follows.     Thirdly  : 
T/jat  therefore  every  M'dn  is  created  to  go  to  Heaven  i 
This  is  the  End  of  Creation ;   but  the  Reafon  why 
all  do  not  go  to  Heaven,  is,  becaufe  they  imbibe  the 
Delights  of  Hell  j  which  are  oppofite  to  the  Beatitude 
of  Heaven,  and  they  v.'ho  are  not  in  the  Beatitude 
of  Heaven,  cannot  enter  into  Heaven,  for  they  can* 
not   bear  it»      No  one  who    enters    the  fpiritual 
Worldj  is   refufed  the  Liberty  of  afcending  imo 
Heaven  ;  but  he  who  is  in  the  Delight  of  Hellj 
when  he  comes   there,   hath  a  Palpitation  at  his 
Heart,  labours  in  his  breathing,  begins  to  lofe  ail 
Life,  is  in  Anguifh  and -Torment,  and  rolls  himfelf 
about  hke  a  Serpent  laid  before  the  Fire  ;  this  is 
the  Cafe,  becaufe  Oppofites  ad  bppoiitely.     Never- 
thelefs,  forahnuch  as  they  were  born   Men,  and 
thereby  in  the  Faculty  of  thinking  and  wiUing,  and 
confequently  in  the  Facuhy  of  fpcaking  and  acling, 
they  cannot  die  ;   but  fmce  they  cannot  live  with 
P  P  p      ,  any  ' 


498    Angelic  Wisdom  concekking 

any  others,  but  thofe  who  are  in  aTimilar  Delight 
of  Life,  they  are  fent  to  them  ;  confequentl^  they 
who  are  in  the  Delights  of  Evil,  are  remanded  to 
thofe  who  are  like  themfelves ;  and  they  who  are 
In  the  Delights  of  G6od,  alfo  to  their  hke  :  Yea,  it 
is  allowed  every  one  t^  be  in  the  Delight  of  his  Evil, 
provided  he  does  not  infeft  thofe  who  are  in  the  De- 
light of  Good  ;  but  forafmuch  as  Evil  cannot  do 
otherwife  thau  infeft  Good,  for  in  Evil  there  is 
Hatred  againll:  Good,  therefore  left  they  ftiould  do 
Mifchief,  they  are  removed,  and  caft  down  into 
their  proper  Places  in  Hell,  where  their  Delight  is 
turned  to  what  is  undelightful.  But  this  doth  not 
prevent  Man  from  being  by  Creation,  and  confe- 
quently  by  Birth,  fuch,  that  he  may  go  to  Heaven  ; 
for  every  one  goes  to  Heaven  v/ho  dies  an  Infant, 
is  educated  and  inftru£led  there,  as  a  Man  is  in  the 
World,  and  by  the  Aftedion  of  Good  and  Truth 
imbibes  Wifdom,  and  becomes  an  Angel ;  The 
fame  might  be  the  Cafe  with  Man,  who  is  educated 
andinftru6led  in  the  World,  for  the  fame  Capabili- 
ty which  is  in  an  Infant  is  in  him;  concerning  In- 
fants in  the  fpiritual  World,  fee  the  Work  on  Hea- 
ven AND  Hell,  publillied  in  London,;  1758,  n. 
329  to  345.  The  Reafon  why  the  Cafe  is  not  the 
£ime  with  many  in  the  World,  is,  becaufe  they  love 
the  firft  Degree  of  their  Life,  which  is  called  the 
natural  Degree,  and  will  not  recede  fropi  it  and  be- 
come fpiritual,  and  the  natural  Degree  of  Life,  con- 
fidered  in  itfclf,  loves  Nothing  but  Self  and  the 
World,  for  it  coheres  with  the  bodily  Senfes,  which 
;iifo  communicate  with  the  World  j  but  the  fpiritu- 
al Degree  of.  Life,  confidered  in  itfelf,.lpveth  the 

Lord 


The  DrviNE  PrOV!i>ence.         499 

Lord  and  Heaven,  and  alfo  itfelf  and  the  World, 
but  God  and  Heaven  as  fuperior,  principal,  and 
governing,  and  Self  and  the  World  as  inferior,  in- 
ilrumental,  and  fubfervient.  Fourthly  :  That 
the  Div'me  Love  cannot  do  otherwife  than  will  it^  and 
that  the  Divine  W'lfdom  cannot  do  otherwife  than  pro- 
vide for  it :  That  the  Divine  Eflence  is  Divine  Love 
and  Divine  Wifdom,  was  fully  fnewn  in  the  Trea- 
tife  concerning  The  Divine  Love  and  the  Divine 
Wisdom  ;  it  is  alfo  demonftrated  there,  n.  358  to 
370,  that  in  every  hujiian  Embryo  the  Lord  foimeth 
two  Receptack;^,  one  of  the  Divine  Love  and  the 
other  of  the  Divine  Wifdom,  the  Receptacle  of  Di- 
vine Love  for  the  future  Will  of  Man,  and  the  Re- 
ceptacle of  Divine  Wifdom  for  his  future  Under- 
ftanding  ;  and  that  thus  he  hath  endued  every  Man 
with  a  Faculty  of  willing  GoOd,  and  a  Faculty  of  un- 
derftanding Truth.  Now  forafmuch  as  th?fe  two  Fac*- 
uhiesofMan  are  given himfrom  hisBirthby  theLcrd, 
and  thence  the  Lord  is  in  them, as  in  his  own  in  Man, 
it  is  evident  that  his  Divine  Love  cannot  will  other- 
wife,  than  that  Man  (hould  go  to  fleaven,  and  there 
enjoy  eternal  Beatitude ;  and  alfo  that  his  Divine 
Wildom  cannot  do  otherwife  than  provide  for  it. 
But  forafmuch  as  it  is  of  his  Divine  Love,  that 
Man  fliould  feel  heavenly  Beatitude  in  himfelf  as  his 
own,  and  this  cannot  be  done,  unlefs  Man  is  per- 
fectly kept  in  the  Appearance,  that  he  thinks,  wills, 
fpeaks,  and  ads  from  himfelf,  therefore  he  cannot 
lead  Man  any  otherwife  than  according  to  the  Laws 
of  his  Divine  Providence. 

325.  II.  That  t'bencc  it  is  of  the  Divine  Providence 
that  every  Man  is  capable  of  being  faved,  a?id  that  they 

are 


500    Angelic  Wisdom  coNCERNi:&Ta 

arefavedwho  acknowledge  a  God.,  and  lead  a  good  Lifi^* 
That  every  one  is  capable  of  being  faved,  is  evi- 
dent from  what  hath  been  demonftrated  abovco 
Some  are  of  Opinion,  that  the  Church  of  the  Lord 
18  only  in  the  Chriilian  World,  becaufe  the  Lord 
is  only  known  there,  and  the  Word  is  there  only  \ 
but  yet  there  are  many  who  believe,  that  the  Church 
of  God  is  common,  or  extended  and  fpread  over  the 
■whole  Earth,  confequently  among  thofe  iikewife  who 
are  ignorant  of  the  Lord,  and  have  not  the  Word  ; 
urging,  that  this  is  not  their  Fault,  and  that  there 
IS  no  Help  for  their  Ignorance  j  and  that  it  is  not 
confiftent  vi'Ith  the  Love  and  Mercy  of  the  Lord, 
that  any  one  fliould  be  born  for  Hell,  when  never- 
thelefs  they  are  equally  Men  as  well  as  others.  Now 
forafmuch  as  there  is  a  BeUef  among  Chrillians,  if 
not  among  all,  yet  among  many,  that  the  Church 
is  common,  which  alfo  is  called  a  Communion, 
it  follows,  that  there  are  fome  very  common  or 
general  [EfTentiais}  of  the  Church,  which  are 
Ingredients  in  all  Religions,  and  conflitute  that 
Communion  :  That  thefe  mod  common  or  general 
[EiTentiaisj  are  the  Acknowledgment  of  a  God,  and 
Good,  of  Life,  will  be  feen  in  the  following  Order. 
I.  That  the  Acknowledgment  of  a  God  caufeth  a 
Conjundion  of  God  with  Man,  and  of  Man  with 
God,  and  that  the  Negation  of  a  God  caufeth  a 
Disjundion.  s.  That  every  one  acknowledgeth 
God,  and  is  joined  unto  him,  according  to  the  Good 
of  his  Life.  3.  That  the  Good  of  Life,  or  to  live 
well,  is  to  fliun  Evils  becaufe  they  are  contrary  to^ 
"•  Religion,  therefore    againft  God.     4.  That  thefe 

are 


The  Divine  Providence.        50? 

are  the  common  [Eflentials]  of  all  Religions,  by 
"which  every  one  may  be  faved. 

326.  But  thefe  Propofitions  are  to  be  viewed  and 
demonftrated  feparately.  I.  That  the  Acknowledge 
nicnt  of  aGod  caiifcth  a  Conjimdion  of  God  with  Mariy 
and  of  Man  with  God^  and  that  the  Denial  of  a  God 
caufeth  a  DisjunBion,  Some  may  think,  that  they 
can  alike  be  faved  who  do  not  acknowledge  a  God, 
as  they  who  do,  provided  they  lead  a  moral  Life ; 
faying,  what  does  Acknowledgment  fignify  ?  Doe^ 
it  not  confift  in  Thought  only  ?  Cannot  1  eafily  ac- 
knowledge, when  I  know  for  certain,  that  there  is  a 
God  ?  I  have  heard  of  Him,  but  I  never  faw  Him  ; 
let  me  fee  Him,  and  I  will  beheve.  Such  is  the 
l^anguage  of  many  who  deny  God,  when  it  is 
permitted  them  to  reafon  freely  with  one  who  ac- 
knowiedgeth  God.  But  that  the  Acknowledgment 
of  a  God  conjoins,  and  the  Denial  of  a  God  fepa- 
rates,  fhall  be  iiluftrated  by  fome  Particulars  known 
to  me  in  the  fpiritu.?!  World  :  In  that  World,  when 
any  one  thinks  of  another,  and  defires  to  fpeak  with 
him,  the  other  immediately  is  prefent ;  this,  is  com.- 
mon  in  the  fpiritual  World,  and  never  fails  ;  the 
Reafon  is,  becaufe  in  the  fpiritual  World  there  is  no 
Diftance,  as  in  the  natural  World,  but  only  an  Ap- 
pearance of  Diftance.  Another  Particular  is,  that  as 
Thought  from  fome  Knowledge  of  another  caufeth 
his  Prefcnce,  fo  Love  from  fome  Alfeclion  for  an^ 
other  caufeth  Conjunction  with  him,  whereby  it 
tomes  to  pafs  that  they  go  together  and  converfe  in 
a  friendly  Manner,  and  dwell  in  one  Houfe,  or  in 
one  Society,  and  often  meet,  and  do  mutual  good 
Offices  to  each  other  :  The  Reverfe  alfo  takes  Place, 

in 


502 


Angelic  Wisdom  cqncernino 


in  that  he  who  doth  not  love  another,  and  more  ef- 
pecially  he  who  hateth  another,  doth  not  fee  or  meet 
him,  and  the  Diltance  between  them  is  in  Propor- 
tion to  the  Degree  in  which  there  is  a  Want  of  I.ove, 
or  in  which  Hatred  prevails ;  yea,  if  he  is  prefent, 
and  then  remembers  his  Hatred,  he  becometh  invif- 
ible.  From  thefe  Particulars  it  may  appear,  what  is 
the  Caufe  of  Prefence,  and  what  the  Caufe  of  Con- 
jundlion  in  the  fpiritual  World, namely, that  Prefence 
proceeds  from  Remembrance  of  another  with  aDe- 
{ire  to  fee  him,  and  that  Conjundion  proceeds  from 
the  Aftedion  which  is  of  Love.  It  is  the  fame 
with  all  Things  which  are  in  the  human  Mind ; 
therein  are  Things  innumerable,  and  all  the  Partic- 
ulars there  are  confociated  or  conjoined  according 
to  Affeclions,  or  as  one  Thing  loves  another. 
This  Conjunction  is  fpiritual  Conjunction,  which  is 
like  itfelf  both  in  Things  common,  and  in  Things 
particular  :  This  fpiritual  Conjunction  deuveb!:s  Ori- 
gin from  the  Conjunction  of  the  Lord  with  the  Ipir- 
ituai  World,  and  the  natural  World,  in  common 
and  in  particular  ;  from  which  Confideration  it  is 
evident,  that  in  Proportion  as  any  one  acknowledg- 
eth  the  Lord,  and  thinketh  of  him  from  Knowledg- 
es, in  the  fame  Proportion  the  Lord  is  prefent ;  and 
in  Proportion  as  any  one  acknowledgeth  him  from 
the  Affection  of  Love,  in  the  fame  Proportion  the 
Lord  is  conjoined  with  him  ;  and  on  the  contrary, 
that  in  Proportion  as  any  one  doth  not  acknowledge 
the  Lord,  in  the  fame  Proportion  the  Lord  is  ab^ 
fent,  and  that  in  Proportion  as  any  onedeniethhim, 
in  the  fame  Proportion  he  is  disjoined  or  feparated 
from  him.     Conjunction  caufeth  the  Lord  to  turn 

the 


The  Divine  Providence.  .      503 

Face  of  Man  to  himfclf,  and  then  to  lead  him  ;  and 
Disjunction  caufeth  Hell  to  turn  the  Face  of  Man 
to  idelf,  and  to  lead  him  :  Wherefore  all  the  An- 
gels of  Heaven  turn  their  Faces  to  the  Lord  as  the 
Sun,  and  all  the  Spirits  of  Hell  turn  away  their  Faces 
from  the  Lord.  Hence  it  is  evident  what  is  the  Ef- 
fect produced  by  the  Acknowledgment  of  a  God, 
and  what  by  the  Denial  of  a  God.  And  they  wh  » 
deny  God  in  the  World,  deny  him  after  Death,  and 
become  organized  according  to  the  Defcription 
above,  n.  319;  and  the  Organization  induced  in 
the  World  remains  to  Eternity.  Secondly  : 
That  every  one  acknowledgeth  God,  and  is  conjoined 
with  him,  according  to  the  Good  rf  his  Life :  All  who 
know  any  Thing  of  Religion,  may  know  God; 
they  can  alfo  fpcak  of  God  from  Science  or  the 
Memory,  and  fome  even  think  of  God  from  the 
Underllanding ;  but  this,  unlefs  a  Man  leads  a 
good  Life,  produces  Nothing  but  Prefence,  for  he 
can  neverthelefs  turn  hnnfelf  from  God,  and  turn 
himfelf  to  Hell,  which  is  the  Cafe  if  he  leads  a  bad 
Life.  But  no  others  can  acknowledge  God  in  their 
Hearts,  except  thofe  who  lead  a  good  Life ;  thefe, 
according  to  the  Good'of  their  Life,  the  Lord  turn- 
eth  away  from  Hell,  and  turneth  to  himfelf;  the 
Reafon  is,  becaufe  thefe  alone  love  God,  for  they 
love  Divine  Things  which  are  from  him,  by  doing 
them  ;  the  Divine  Things  which  are  from  God,  are 
the  Precepts  of  his  Law ;  thefe  are  God,  becaufe 
He  is  his  own  proceeding  Divine,  and  this  is  to  love 
God;  wherefore  the  Lord  faith,  "  He  that  doeth 
my  Couimandments,  he  it  is  that  loveth  me ;  but 
he  that  doeth  not  my  CommandmentSj  loveth  m^ 

net," 


504     Angelic  Wisdom  goncernikg 

hot/'  Jolm  xiv.  21  to  24.  Thisisthfe  Reafon  why 
there  are  two  Tables  of  the  Decalogue,  one  for 
God,  and  the  other  for  Man  j  God  continually  op- 
erates, that  Man  may  receive  the  Things  which  are 
in  his  Table,  but  if  Man  doeth  not  the  Things  which 
are  in  his  Table,  he  doth  not  receive  with  AcknowU 
edgment  of  Heart  the  Things  which  are  in  God's 
Table,  and  if  he  doth  not  receive  them,  he  is  not 
conjoined  ;  wherefore  thofe  two  Tables  were  joined 
together,  that  they  might  be  one,  and  were  called 
the  Tables  of  the  Covenant,  and  Covenant  fignifiei 
Conjun'5tion.  1  he  Reafon  why  every  one  acknowl- 
edgeth  God,  and  is  conjoined  with  him  according 
to  the  Good  of  his  Life,  is,  becaufe  Good  of  Life  is 
fimilar  to  the  Good  which  is  in  the  Lord^  and 
which  therefore  is  from  the  Lord  ;  wherefore  Vv^hen 
Man  is  in  the  Good  of  Life,  Conjunction  is  efi^efted. 
It  is  the  contrary  with  Evil  of  Life  j  this  rejedleth 
theJLordi  Thirdly  :  That  Good  6f  Life^  cr  to  live 
ivelly  is  to  Jhun  Evils  becaufe  they  are  contrary  id 
Religion,  therefore  againfi  God :  That  this  is  Good 
of  Life,  or  to  live  wellj  is  fully  fhewn  in  The  Doc- 
trine OF  Life  for  the  New  Jerusalem,  from 
Beginning  to  End.  To  which  I  will  only  add,  that 
if  you  do  Good  in  all  Abundance,  for  Example,  if 
you  build  Churches,  adorn  and  fill  them  with  Dona- 
tions, lay  out  M  oney  in  Hofpitals  and  Charities,  give 
Alms  daily,  help  Widows  and  Orphans,  regularly 
perform  the  Ceremonies  of  Divine  Worihip,  yea^ 
if  you  think, fpeak,  and  preach  Things  holy  as  from 
the  Heart,  and  yet  do  not  ihun  Evils  as  Sins  againft 
God,  all  thofe  Goods  are  not  Goods,  but  are  either 
hypocritical  or  meritorious  \  for  there  is  inwardly 

Evil 


The  Divine  Providence.         ^o^ 

Evil  in  them  notwithdanding,  inafmuch  as  the  Life 
of  every  one  is  in  all  and  every  Thing  that  he  doeth  : 
But  Goods  are  no  otherwife  made  Goods,  than  by 
the  Removal  of  Evil  from  them.  Hence  it  is  evi- 
dent,  that  to  Ihun  Evils  becaufe  they  are  contrary 
to  Religion,  and  therefore  againft  God,  is  to  hve 
well.  Fourthly  :  That  thefe  are  commm  \JE[fen- 
tials'}  of  all  Religions^  by  ivbich  every  one  may  beJliVijecL 
To  acknowledge  a  God,  and  not  to  do  Evil  becaufe 
it  is  againft  God,  are  two  Things  by  Virtue  of  which 
Religion  is  Religion  ;  if  one  of  them  is  wanting,  it 
cannot  be  called  Religion,  for  to  acknowledge  a 
God  and  to  do  Evil,  is  contradictory,  as  well  as  to 
do  Good  and  not  to  acknowledge  a  God^  for  one 
doth  not  take  Place  without  the  other.  It  is  pro- 
vided by  the  Lord,  that  there  is  fome  Religion 
almofl  every  where,  and  that  in  every  Religion 
there  are  thefe  two  Eifentials  \  and  it  is  alfo  provi- 
ded by  the  Lord,  that  every  one  who  acknowledg- 
ieth  a  God,  and  doth  not  do  Evil  becaufe  it  is  againft 
God,  hath  a  Place  in  Heaven  ;  for  Heaven  in  the 
Complex  refembles  one  Man,  whofe  Life  or  Soul 
the  Lord  is  ;  in  that  celeftial  Man  there  are  all 
Things  which  are  in  a  natural  Man,  with  fuch  a 
Difference  as  cxifls  between  Things  celeltial  and 
natural*  It  is  well  known,  that  in  a  Man  there  are 
not  only  organized  Fbrms,  confuting  of  Blood- Vef- ' 
fels  and  nervous  Fibres,  which  are  called  Vifcera, 
but  there  are  alfo  Skins,  Membranes,  Tendons, 
Cartilages,  Bones,  Nails,  and  Teeth  ;  thefe  have  Lif-^ 
in  a  lefs  Degree  than  the  organized  Forms  them* 
felves,  to  which  they  ferve  as  Ligaments,  Teguments, 
and  Supports :  That  celeftial  Man,  which  is  Heav- 
Q  o^q  en, 


5o6    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

en,  in  Order  that  there  may  be  all  thefe  Parts  in 
him,  cannot  be  compofed  of  Men  of  one  Religion, 
but  of  Men  of  many  Religions  ;  hence  it  is,  that  all 
t:ho  apply  to  their  Lives  thofe  two  Univ^rfals  of 
the  Church,  have  a  Place  in  that  ccleflial  Man,  that 
is,  in  Heaven,  and  there  enjoy  Felicity,  each  in  his 
Degree  ;  but  on  this  Subjed  fee  more  above,  n. 
254.  That  thefe  two  Ellentials  are  primary  in  every 
Religion,  may  appear  from  their  being  the  two 
Effentials  which  the  Decalogue  teacheth,  and  the 
Decalogue  was  primary  in  the  Word  [  P  rimumVerbi^'] 
and  was  promulgated  from  Mount  Sinai  by  Jehovah 
"uiva  voce,  and  written  upon  two  Tables  of  Stone 
by  the  Finger  of  God,  and  then  being  depofited  in 
the  Ark  it  was  called  Jehovah,  and  conflituted  the 
Holy  of  HoHes  in  the  Tabernacle,  and  the  mofl 
facred  Place  in  the  Temple  at  Jerufalem,  and  all 
Things  there  derived  their  Sanctity  from  it  alone  ; 
concerning  the  Decalogue  in  the  Ark,  more  may 
be  feen  from  the  Word  in  The  Doctrine  of  Life 
FOR  THE  New  Jerusalem,  n.  53  to  61  ;  to  w^hich 
I  will  add  as  follows  :  It  is  known  from  the  Word 
that  the  Ark,  in  w^hich  were  the  two  Tables,  v/here- 
upon  the  Decalogue  was  written,  was  taken  by  the 
Phinftines.,  and  placed  in  the  Temple  of  Dagon  in 
Afhdod,  and  that  Dagon  fell  down  bcfc^re  it  to  the 
Earth,  and  that  afterwards  his  Head  and  the  Palms 
of  his  Hands  were  feparated  from  his  Body,  and 
lay  upon  the  Threlhold  of  the  Temple  ;  and  that 
the  Aihdodites  and  Ekroniies  by  Reafon  of  the  Ark 
were  fmitten  with  Emerods  to  the  Number  of  fev- 
eral  Taoufands,  and  that  their  Country  was  wafled 
by  Mice  :  alfo,  that  the  Philillines,  bv  the  Advice 

of 


J 


The  Divine  Providence.         507 

of  the  Chiefs  of  their  Nation,  made  five  Emerods, 
and  five  golden  Mice,  and  a  new  ^arr,  and  fet  the 
Ark  upon  it,  and  the  Emerods  and  golden  Mice 
befide  it,  and  fent  back  the  Ark  by  two  Kine,  which 
lowed  in  the  Way  before  the  Ark,  to  the  Children 
of  Ifrael,  by  whom  the  Kine  and  the  Cart  were  fac- 
riiiced  ;  fee  i  Sam.  Chap.  v.  and  vi.      It  fliall  now 
be  fhewn  what  all  thefe  Particulars  fignified  :  The 
Phiiiilines  fignified  thofe  who  are  in  Faith  feparate 
from  Charity  j  Dagon  reprefented  their  Religion  ; 
the  Emcrodv^,  whereby  they  were  fmitten,  iignified 
natural  Loves,  which  when  feparated  from  fpiritual 
Love  are  unclean  ;  the  Mice  fignificd  the  Devalla- 
tion  of  the  Church  by  Falfificaticns  of  Truth  ;  the 
new  Cart  upon  which  they  fent  back  the  Ark,  fig- 
nified new,  but  natural  Do&ine,  for  Chariot  in 
the  Word  fignitles  Do£trine  grounded  in  Ipiriruai 
Truths  ;  the  Kine  fignified  good  natural  Aifcclions ; 
the  golden  Emerods  fignified  natural  Loves  purified 
and  made  good  ;    the  golden  Mice  fignified  the 
Vaftation  of  the  Church  removed  by  Good,  for 
Gold  in  the  Word  fignifies  Good  ;   the  Lowing  of 
the  Kine  in  the  Way,  fignified  the  difficult  Conver- 
fion  of  the  Concupifcences  of  Evil  in  the  natural 
Man  into  good  AifeQions  ;  the  offering  the  Kine 
with  the  Cart  as  a  Burnt-Ofiering,  fignified  that 
thus   Atonement   would   be   made   to   the   Lord. 
Thefe  are  the  Things  which  are  fpiritually  mennt 
by  thofe  hifl:oncal  Facls ;  connect  them  into  one 
Senfe,   and  make  the  Application.     That  hy  the 
Philiftines  are  reprefented  thofe  who  are  in  Faith 
feparate  from  Charity,  may  be  feen  in  The  Doc- 
TPJNE  OP  THE  New  Jerusalem   concerning 

Faith, 


5o8     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Faith,  n.  49  to  54.  And  that  the  Ark,  by  Reafon 
of  the  Decalogue  therein  contained,  was  the  moR 
holy  Thing  of  the  Church,  fee  The  Doctrine  of 
Life  for  the  New  Jerusalem,  n.  53  to  61. 

327.  III.  That  it  is  a  Marias  own  faulty  if  he  in 
not faved.     This  Truth  is  acknowledged  by  every 
rational  Man  as  foon  as  it  is  heard,  viz.  that  Evil 
cannot  flow  from  Good,  nor  Good  from  Evil,  be- 
caufe  they  are  Oppofites  ;  confequently,  that  from 
Good  Nothing  but  Good  can  flow,  and  from  Evil 
Nothing  but  Evil :  When  this  Truth  is  acknowl- 
edged, the  following  is  acknowledged  alfo,  viz.  that 
Good  can  be  turned  into  Evil,  not  by  a  good  but 
by  an  evil  Recipient,  for  every  Form  turneth  what 
is  influent  into  its  own  Quality,  fee  above,  n.  292* 
Now  forafmuch  as  the  Lord  is  Good  in  its  very 
Eflence,  or  Good  itfelf,  it  is  evident  that  Evil  can-* 
not  flow  from  the  Lord,  nor  be  produced  by  him, 
but  that  it  can  be  turned  into  Evil  by  a  Recipient 
Subject,  whofe  Form  is  a  Form  of  Evil :  Such  a 
Subjed  is  Man  with  Refpe6l  to  his  Proprium  ;  this 
continually  receives  Good  from  the  Lord,  and  con- 
tinually turns  it  into  the  C^ality  of  its  Form,  which 
is  a  Form  of  Evil :  Hence  it  follows,  that  it  is  a 
Man's  own  Fault  if  he  is  not  faved.     Evil  is  indeed 
from  Hell,  but  forafmuch  as  he  receives  it  thence 
as  his  ov^^n,  and  thereby  appropriates  it  to  himfelf, 
therefore  it  makes  no  Difference  whether  you  fay 
that  Evil  is  from  Man,  or  that  Evil  is  from  Hell* 
But  whence  there  is  an  Appropriation  of  Evil  in 
fuch  a  Degree  that   Religion   periflieth,   fhall  be 
Ihewn  in  the  following  Series,     i.  That  every  Re- 
ligion in  Prccefs  of  I'ime  decreafelh  and  is  confun> 

matedo 


The  Divine  Providence.        509 

mated.  2.  That  Every  Religion  decreafeth  and  is 
confummated  by  an  Invcrfion  of  the  Image  of  God 
in  Man.  3.  That  this  exifts  from  continual  Incre* 
ments  of  hereditary  Evil  in  fucceflive  Generations. 
4.  That  ftill  it  is  provided  by  the  Lord,  that  every 
one  may  be  capable  of  being  faved.  5.  That  it  is 
alfo  provided,  that  a  new  Church  may  fucceed  in 
place  of  the  Former  vaftated  Church. 

328.  But  thefe  Proportions  are  to  be  demonflra- 
ted  in  their  Series,  First  :  That  every  Religion  in 
Prccefs  of  Time  decreafeth  and  is  confummated.  Up- 
on this  Earth  there  have  been  feveral  Churches, 
one  after  another,  inafmuch  as  wherefoever  the  hu- 
man Race  exifts,  there  a  Church  exifts ;  for  Heav- 
en, which  is  the  End  of  Creation,  confifts  of  the 
human  Race,  as  was  demonflrated  above,  and  no 
one  can  enter  into  Heaven,  unlefs  he  be  in  the  two 
Univerfals  of  the  Church,  which  confifts  in  acknowl- 
edging a  God,  and  leading  a  good  Life,  as  is  fhewn 
above,  n.  326  ;  hence  it  follows,  that  upon  this 
Earth  there  have  been  Churches  from  the  moft  an- 
cient Times  down  to  the  prefent.  Thefe  Churches 
are  defcribed  in  the  Word,  but  not  hiftorically,  ex- 
cept only  the  Ifraelitifh  and  Jewifh  Church,  before 
which  neverthelefs  there  exifted  feveral,  and  thefe 
are  only  defcribed  in  the  Word  under  the  Names 
of  Nations  and  Perfons,  and  certain  Particulars  con- 
cerning them.  The  moft  ancient  Church,  which 
was  the  Firft,  is  defcribed  by  Adam  and  his  Wife 
Eve.  The  fucceeding  Church,  which  is  to  be  call- 
ed the  Ancient  Church,  is  defcribed  by  Noah  and 
his  three  Sons,  and  by  their  Pofterity  ;  this  was  ex- 
^enfive  and  fpread  over  many  Kingdoms  of  Afia, 

which 


5IO     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

which  were  the  Land  of  Canaan  on  both  Sides  Jor- 
dan,  Syria,  Affyria,  and  Chaldasa,  Mefopotomia,  E- 
gypt,  Arabia,  Tyre,  and  Sidon ;  among  thefe  was 
.the  ancient  Word,  mentioned  in  The  Doctrine  of 
THE  New  Jerusalem  concerning  the  Sacred 
Scripture,  n,  loi,  102,  103.  That  that  Church 
exifled  in  thefe  Kingdoms,  is  evident  from  various 
Particulars  which  are  recorded  concerning  them  in 
the  prophetic  Parts  of  the  Word.  But  that  Church 
was  remarkably  changed  by  Eber,  from  whom  the 
Hebrew  Church  had  its  Origin  ;  in  the  latter  facri- 
ficial  Worfhip  was  lirft  inftituted.  From  the  Hebrew 
Church  fprung  the  Ifraelitifli  and  Jevv^ilh  Church, 
eftabliilied  with  much  Solemnity  for  the  Sake  of  the 
Word,  which  was  there  to  be  written.  Thefe  four 
Churches  are  meant  by  the  Image  feen  by  Nebu- 
chadnezzar in  a  Dream,  whofe  Head  was  of  pure 
Gold,  the  Bread  and  Arms  of  Silver,  the  Belly  and 
Thighs  of  Brafs,  and  the  Legs  and  Feet  of  Iron  and 
Clay,  Dan.  ii.  32,  33.  Neither  is  any  Thing  elfe 
meant  by  the  golden,  filver,  copper,  and  iron  Ages 
mentioned  by  ancient  Writers.  That  the  Chriftian 
Church  fucceeded  the  Jewiih  Church,  is  well  known ; 
and  it  may  be  feen  from  the  Word,  that  all  thefe 
Churches  in  Procefs  of  Time  decHned,  till  there  v.'as 
an  End  of  them,  which  is  called  the  Confumma- 
tion.  The  Confummation  of  the  moft  ancient 
Church,  which  was  occafioned  by  eating  of  the  Ti;ec 
of  Knov^ledge,  whereby  is  fignified  the  Pride  of  felf- 
derived  Intelligence,  is  defcribed  by  the  Deluge. 
The  Confummation  of  the  Ancient  Church  is  de- 
fcribed  by  various  Devaftations  of  the  Nations  treat- 
ed of,  as  well  in  the  hiftorical,  as  in  the  prophetic 

Parts 


I 


The  Divine  Providence.         511 

Parts  of  the  Word,  efpecially  by  the  cafting  out  of  the 
Nations  from  the  Land  of  Canaan  by  the  Children 
of  Ifrael.     The  Confummation  of  the  Ifraehtifli  and 
Jewiih  Church  is  underftood  by  the  Deftruftion  of 
the  Temple  at  Jerufalem,  and  by  the  carrying  away 
of  the  Ifraehtifli  People  into  perpetual  Captivity,  and 
of  the  Jewiih  Nation  to  Babylon  ;  and  ladly  by  the 
fecond  Deiiru6lion  of  thQ  Temple,  and  at  the  fame 
Time  of  Jerufalem,  and  the  Difperhon  of  that  Na- 
tion ;    which   Confummation  is  foretold  in  many 
Places  in  the  Prophets,  and  in  Daniel,  Chap.  ix.  24 
to  27.     But  the  fucceflive  Vaftation  of  the  Chrif- 
tian  Church  to  its  final  Period,  is  defcribed  by  the 
Lord  in  Matthew,  Chap.  xxiv.  in  Mark,  Chap.  xiii. 
and  in  Luke,  Chap,  xxi  ;   and  the  Confummation 
itfelf  in  the  Apocalypfe.      Hence  it  may  appear, 
that  the  Church  in  Procefs  of  Time  decreafeth  and 
is  confummated  ;   and  that  it  is  the  fame  with  Reli- 
gion.    Secondly  :     That  every  Religion  decreafeth 
and  is  confummated  by  an  Inverfton  of  the  Image  of  God 
in  Man.     It  is  well  known  that  Man  was  created  in 
the  Image  of  God  according  to  the  Likenefs  of  God, 
Genefis  i.  26  ;  but  it  fhall  be  explained  what  an  Im- 
age of  God  is,  and  what  a  Likenefs  of  God  :  God 
alone  is  Love  and  Wifdom ;  Man  was  created  that 
he  might  be  a  Receptacle  of  both ;    that  his  Will 
might  be  a  Receptacle  of  Divine  Love,  and  his  Un- 
derftanding  a  Receptacle  of  Divine  Wifdom.     That 
thefe  two  Principles  from  Creation  are  in  Man,  and 
that  they  make  the  Man,  and  that  they  are  alfo  form- 
ed in  every  one  in  the  Womb,  was  (hewn  above  ;  Man 
therefore  is  an  Image  of  God,  in  that  he  is  a  Recipi- 
ent of  Divine  Wifdom,  and  a  Likenefs  of  God,  in  that 
he  is  a  Recipient  of  Divne  Love,  5  wherefore  the  Recep- 
tacle 


512    Angelic  Wisdom  eoircERiriNd 

tacle  which  is  called  the  Undcrftanding,  is  an  Im- 
age of  God,  and  the  Receptacle  which  is  called 
the  Will,  is  a  Likenefs  of  God ;  therefore  fmce 
Man  was  created  and  formed  to  be  a  Receptacle,  it 
follows,  that  he  was  created  and  formed,  that  his 
Will  might  receive  Love  from  God,  and  his  Under- 
ftanding  Wifdom  from  God  j  which  alfo  Man  re- 
ceiveth,  when  he  acknowledgeth  God,  and  liveth  ac- 
cording to  his  Commandments^  but  in  a  greater  or 
lefler  Degree,  in  Proportion  as  by  Religion  he  know- 
eth  God,  and  knoweth  his  Con:ttnandments  ;  confe- 
quently  in  Proportion  as  he  knoweth  Truths^  for 
Truths  teach  what  God  is,  and  how  he  is  to  be  ac- 
knowledged ^  as  alfo  what  his  Commandments  are^ 
and  how  Man  is  to  live  according  to  them.  The 
Image  of  God^  and  the  Likenefs  of  God,  are  not  ac- 
tually  deftroyed  in  Man,  but  they  are  feemingly  de- 
flroyed  ;  for  they  remain  inherent  in  his  two  Facul- 
ties, which  are  called  Liberty  and  Rationality,  which 
have  been  abundantly  treated  of  above  :  They  be^ 
came  feemingly  deilroyed,  when  Man  made  the  Re^ 
ceptacle  of  the  Divine  Love,  which  is  his  Will,  a 
Receptacle  of  Self-Love,  and  the  Receptacle  of  the 
Divine  Wifdom,  which  is  his  Undcrftanding,  a  Re- 
ceptacle of  felf-derived  Intelligence  ;  thereby  he  in- 
verted the  Image  and  Likenefs  of  God,  for  he  turned 
thofe  Receptacles  away  from  God,  and  turned  them 
to  himfelf :  Hence  it  is,  that  they  are  clofed  above, 
and  opened  below,  or  that  they  are  clofed  before, 
•and  opened  behind,  when  neverthelefs  by  Creation 
they  were  open  before,  and  clofed  behind ;  and 
when  they  are  thus  inverfely  opened  and  clofed, 
then  the  Receptacle  of  Love  or  the  Will  receives 

Influx 


The  Divine  Providence.         513 

influx  from  Hell,  or  from  its  Proprium,  and  fo 
does  the  Receptacle  of  Wifdom  alfo,  or  the  Under- 
(tanding.  Hence  the  Worfhip  of  Men  arofe  in  the 
Churches,  inftead  of  the  Worfhip  of  God,  and  Wor- 
Ihip  grounded  in  Do£lrines  of  what  is  falfe,  inftead 
of  WorHnp  grounded  in  Do^Srines  of  Truth,  the  lat- 
ter from  felf'derived  Intelligence,  the  former  from 
Self-Love;  From  thefe  Confidcrations  it  is  evi- 
dent, that  Religion  in  Procefs  of  Time  decreafeth 
and  is  conrummated  by  an  Inverfion  of  the  Image 
of  God  in  Man.  Thirdly:  That  this  e^ifts  from 
continual  Increments  of  hereditary  Eiil  in  fuccejjiije 
Generations-.  That  hereditary  Evil  is  not  from 
Adam  and  his  Wife  Eve,  in  Confequence  of  their 
eating  of  the  Tree  of  Knowledge,  but  that  it  is  fuc- 
ceffively  derived  from  Parents,  and  tranfplanted  in- 
to their  Offspring,  and  fo  by  continual  Increments 
is  augmented  from  Generation  to  Generation,  was 
faid  and  fliewn  above.  When  Evil  is  thereby  ac- 
cumulated among  many,  then  it  fpreads  and  ex- 
tends itfelf  to  others  ;  for  in  all  Evil  there  is  a  Lufl 
of  feducing,  which  in  fome  is  ardent  by  Reafon  of 
their  Rage  againfl  what  is  good,  and  thence  proceeds 
the  Contagion  of  Evil  j  when  this  has  invaded  the 
Dignitaries,  Rulers,  and  leading  Men  in  the  Church, 
Religion  is  perverted,  and  the  Means  of  Cure,  which 
are  Truths,  are  corrupted  by  Falfifications  ;  hence 
proceed  in  fuch  Cafe  the  fuccefTjve  Vaflatlons  of 
Good,  and  Defolation  of  Truth  in  the  Church,  un* 
til  the  Connjmmaticn  is  complete.  Fourthly  : 
That  nsvcrthe/cfs  it  is  provided  by  the  Lord,  that  eve- 
ry one  viay  he  capable  of  being  faved*  It  is  provided 
k*y  the  Lord  that  there  fnould  be  a  Religion  every 
R  R  r  Vv'hcrc, 


514    Angelic  Wisdom  concePvNing 

.where,  and  that  in  every  Religion  there  fhould  be 
the  two  Eilentials  of  Salvation,  which  confifl:  in  ac- 
knowledging a  God,  and  in  not  doing  Evil  becaufe 
It  is  againil  God  5  other  Things  appertaining  to  the 
Underflanding,  and  thence  to  the  Thought,  which 
are  called  Matters  of  Faith,  are  provided  for  every 
one  according  to  his  Life,  for  they  are  Accefibries 
to  Life ;  and  if  they  precede,  flill  they  do  not  re- 
ceive Life  before.  It  is  alfo  provided,  that  all  who 
have  lived  well,  and  acknowledged  a  God,  fhould  be 
inilruv^ed  after  Death  by  the  Angels,  and  then  they 
who  had  been  in  thcfe  tw'o  Eflentials  of  Religion  in 
this  World,  accept  the  Truths  of  the  Church,  fuch 
as  they  are  in  the  Word,  and  acknowledge  the 
Lord  as  the  God  of  Heaven  and  the  Church  ;  and 
this  Dodrinc  they  receive  more  rea'dily  than  thofe 
Chriftians,  who  have  carried  out  of  the  V/orld  with 
them  an  Idea  of  the  Lord's  Humanity  feparate  from 
his  Divinity.  It  is  moreover  provided  by  the  Lord, 
that  all  who  die  in  their  Infancy,  wherefoever  they 
may  be  born,  fhould  be  faved.  There  is  alfo- given 
to  every  Man  after  Death  an  Opportunity  of  amend- 
ing his  Life,  if  poffible  ;  all  are  inflrucled  and  led  of 
the  Lord  by  Angels,  and  forafmuch  as  they  then 
know  that  they  are  Hving  after  Death,  and'that  there 
are  fuch  Places  as  Heaven  and  Hell,  at  firfi:  they  re- 
ceive Truths ;  but  they  who  have  not  acknowledg- 
ed a  God,  and  fhunned  Evils  as  Sins  in  this  World, 
ill  a  fhort  Time  after  are  difgufted  with  Truths,  and 
recede ;  and  they  who  have  acknowledged  them 
with  their  Mouths,  and  not  in  their  Hearts,  are  like 
the  fooiifh  Virgins,  which  had  Lam.ps,  but  no  Oil, 
and  fought  Oil  of  others,  and  moreover  went  and 

bought 


The  Divine  Providence.        515 

bought  It,  and  yet  were  not  admitted  to  the  Mar- 
riage :  Lamps  figniij'  Truths  of  Faith,  and  Oil  fig- 
nilies  Good  of  Charity.      Hence  it  may  appear, 
thai  by  a  Law  cf  the  Divine  Providence  every  one 
.   is  capable  of  being  fa^  ed,  and  that  it  is  a  Man's  own 
Fault  if  he  is  not  faved.     Fifthly  :  That  it  is  aJfo 
provided  that  a  New  Church  jhould  fucceed  in  Place  of 
the  former  vafiated  Church,     This  hath  been  the 
Cafe  from  the  mofl  ancient  Times,  viz.   that  when 
a  former  Church  was  vaflated,  a  new  one  fucceeded; 
after  the  moft  ancient  Church  the  Ancient  Church 
fucceeded  ;  after  the  Ancient  Church  the  IfraeUtifii 
or  Jewifli  Church  ;  after  that  the  Chriftian  Church  ; 
moreover  that  after  this   laft  a  New  Chufch  will 
fucceed,  is  foretold  in  the  Apocalypfe,  which  Church 
is  there  meant  by  the  New  Jerufalcm  defcending 
from  Heaven.     The  Reafon  why  a  New  Church  is 
provided  by  the  Lord  to  fucceed  the  former  vadated 
Church,  may  be  feen  in   The  Doc  trine  of  thi: 
New    Jerusalem    concerning    the   Sacred 
Scripture,  n.  104  to  113, 

329.  IV.  That  thus  all  are  prcdtfiined  to  Hcavcrij 
and  none  to  llelL  That  the  Lord  caPietli  none  into 
Hell,  but  that  the  Spirit  calls  himfclf  thither,  is 
fhewn  in  the  Work  concerning  Heavi;n  and  Hell, 
publiflied  in  London,  Anno  1758,  n.  545  to  550  : 
This  is  the  Cafe  with  every  wicked  and  impious 
perfon  after  Death  ;  it  is  the  fame  with  the  Wicked 
and  Lnpious  in  this  World,  v/ith  this  Difiertnce, 
that  in  this  World  they  may  be  reformed,  and  em- 
brace and  imbibe  the  Means  of  Salvation,  but  none 
after  their  Departure  out  of  the  World.  The 
Means  of  Salvation  relate  to  theie  two  Things,  the 

SI:  unning 


5i6    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Shunning  of  Evils  becaufe.  they  are  contrary  to  the 
Divine  Laws  in  the  Decalogue^  and  the  Acknowl- 
edgment that  there  is  a  Go.d  :  This  every  one  may 
do,  provided  he  doth  not  love  Evils ;  for  the  Lord 
floweth  continually  with  Power  into  the  Will,  that 
he  may  be  able  to  ihun  Evils,  and  with  Power  into, 
the  Underftanding,  that   he  may  be  able  to  think 
that  there  is  a  God ;    but  yet  no  Peribn  can  do 
the   one   without   doing    the  other   at    the   fame 
Time  :  Thefe  two  Things  are  joined  together  like 
the  two  Tables  of  the  Decalogue  j  whereof  one  is 
for  the  Lord,  and  the  other  for  Man  ;  the  Lord 
from  his  Table  illuminates  every  one,  and  givetli 
Power,  but  in  Proportion  aa  Man  doeth  the  Things 
which  are  in  his  own  Table,  in  the  fame  Proportion 
he  receiveth  Power  and  Illumination  j  before  this 
the  two  appear  as  if  they  were  laid  upon  one  another 
and  fealed  up,  but  as  Man  doeth  the.  Things  which 
are  in  his  Table,  they  are  difclofed  and  opened. 
What  is  the  Decalogue  at  this.  Day,  but  like  a  Bopk 
that  is  fhut,  and  open  only  in  the  Hands  of  Infants 
and  Children  ?  Tell  any  one  who  is  of  an  advanced 
Age,  you  mud  not  do  fuch  a  Thing,  becaufe  it  is 
C>ontrary  to  the  Decalogue,  and  who  attends,  to  you  ? 
But  if  you  fay,  do  not  do  fuch  a  Thing  becaufe  it 
is  contrary  to  the  Divine  Lav;s,  this  he  can  attend 
to,  when  neyerthelefs  the  Precepts  of  the  Decalogue 
are  the  very  eflential  Divine,  Laws  ;  An  Experiment 
was  made  with  feveral  in  the  fpiritual  Wgrld,  who, 
when  the  Decalogue  or  Catechifm  was  repeated, 
rejected  it  with  Contempt  j  the  Reafon  is.  becduie 
the  Decalogue  ii%  its  fecond  Table,  which  is  the 
■  '      '  Table 


The  Divine  Providence.        517 

Table  of  Man,  teacheth,  that  Evils  are  to  be  fhun- 
ned,  and  he  who  doth  not  fliun  them,  whether  from 
Impiety,  or  from  a  rehgious  Notion  that  Works  are 
of  no  Avail,  but  only  Faith,  when  the  Decalogue 
or  Catechifm  is  repeated,  hears  it  with  fome  Con- 
tempt, as  though  he  heard  Mention  made  of  fome 
Child's  Book,  which  is  no  longer  of  any  Ufe  to 
him.  Thefe  Particulars  are  mentioned  in  Order 
that  it  may  be  known,  that  there  is  not  v/anting  to 
any  Man  a  Knowledge  of  the  Means  whereby  he 
may  be  faved,  nor  the  Power  of  being  faved  if  he 
will ',  from  which  it  follows,  that  all  are  predefined 
or  intended  for  Heaven,  and  none  for  Hell.  But 
forafmuch  as  there  prevails  among  fome  a  Belief  in 
Predcftination  to  no  Salvation,  which  is  Predeftina- 
tion  to  Damnation,  and  fuch  a  Belief  is  hurtful, 
and  cannot  be  difpelled,  unlefs  Reafon  alfo  fees  the 
Madnefs  and  Cruelty  of  it,  therefore  it  fliall  be  treat- 
ed of  in  the  following  Series,  i.  That  any  other 
Predeflination,  than  Predeflination  to  Heaven,  is 
contrary  to  the  Divine  Love  and  its  Infinity.  2. 
That  any  other  Predeflination,  than  Predeflination 
to  Heaven,  is  contrary  to  the  Divine  Wifdom  and 
its  Infinity.  3.  That  it  is  an  infane  Herefy,  to  fup- 
pofe  that  they  only  are  faved  who  are  born  within 
the  Church.  4.  That  it  is  a  cruel  Herefy,  to  fup- 
pofe  that  any  of  the  human  Race  are  predeftined  to 
be  damned. 

330.  But  that  it  may  appear  how  hurtful  a  Faith 
m  Predeilination  is,  as  it  is  commonly  undcrflood, 
thefe  four  Propofitions  fhall  be  refumed  and  con- 
firmed. First  :  T/mt  my  other  PrcdejVmatian^  than 
Fredefii nation,  to  Heaven^  is  contrary  to  the  Divine 


5i8     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Love^  which  is  infinite.  That  Jehovah  or  the  Lord 
is  Divine  Love^  and  that  that  Divine  Love  is  infinite, 
and  the  EJfc  of  all  Life  ;  and  alfo  that  Man  v^as  cre- 
ated in  the  Image  of  God  according  to  the  Likenefs 
of  God,  is  demonflrated  in  the  Treatife  concerning 
The  Divine  Love  and  ti^e  Divine  Wisdom  : 
And  forafniuch  as  every  Man  is  formed  in  the 
Womb  in  that  Image  according  to  that  Likenefs  by 
the  Lord,  as  is  alfo  demonflrated,  it  follows,  that 
the  Lord  is  the  heavenly  Father  of  all  Men,  and 
that  Men  are  his  fpiritual  Children  ;  fo  alfo  is  Jeho- 
vah or  the  Lord  called  in  the  Word,  and  fo  are 
Men  called  therein  ;  wherefore  he  faith,  "  Call  no 
Man  your  Father  upon  the  Earth,  for  one  is  your 
Father  which  is  in  Heaven,''  Matt,  xxiii.  9  ;  where- 
by it  is  meant  that  Lie  alone  is  the  Father  with  Ref- 
ped  to  Life,  and  that  an  earthly  Father  is  only  a 
Father  with  Refpei^  to  the  Covering  of  Life,  which 
is  the  Body,  wherefore  in  Heaven  no  other  Father 
is  made  Mention  of  but  the  Lord  :  That  Men  are 
called  his  Sons,  and  faid  to  be  born  of  him,  who 
do  not  invert  that  Life,  is  alfo  evident  from  many 
Paffages  in  the  Word.  Hence  it  may  appear,  that 
the  Divine  Love  is  in  every  Man,  as  well  the  Wick- 
ed as  the  Good,  confequently  that  the  Lord,  who 
is  Divine  Love,  cannot  acl  any  otherwife  with  them^ 
than  as  a  Father  upon  Earth  does  with  his  Children, 
only  with  infinitely  more  Tendernefs,  becaufe  the 
Divine  Love  is  infinite  ;  alfo  that  he  cannot  recede 
from  any  one,  becaufe  the  Life  of  every  one  is  from 
Him  :  It  appears  as  if  he  .receded  from  the  Wicl:ed, 
whereas  it  is  the  Wicked  themfelves  who  recede, 
but  ftill  he  leadeth  them  out  of  Love  :  Wherefore 
the  Lord  faith,   "  Aik,  and  it  Ihall  be  given  you  ; 

feek. 


The  Divine  Providence,         ^19 

ftick,  and  ye  fliall  find  ;  knock,  and  it  fliall  be  open- 
ed unto  you  :  What  Man  is  there  of  you,  whom 
if  his  Son  alk  Bread,  will  he  give  him  a  Stone  ?  If 
ye  then,  being  evil,  know  how  to  give  good  Gifts 
unto  your  Children,  how  much  more  fhall  your 
Father  which  is  in  Heaven  give  good  Things  to 
them  that  aili  him  ?*'  Matt.  vii.  7  to  1 1  :  And  in 
another  Place,  "  That  he  maketh  his  Sun  to  rife  on 
the  Evil  and  on  the  Good,  and  fendeth  Rain  on 
tke  Juft  and  on  the  Unjull,"  Matt.  v.  45.  More- 
over it  is  known  in  the  Church,  that  the  Lord  de- 
fireth  the  Salvation  of  all,  and  not  the  Death  of  any. 
Hence  it  may  be  feen,  that  any  other  Predeftination 
than  Predeftination  to  Heaven  is  contrary  to  the 
Divine  Love.  Secondly  :  ^hat  any  other  Predef- 
tination^ than  Predejiination  to  Heaven^  is  contrary  to 
the  Divine  Wifdom^  which  is  iJifinitc.  The  Divine 
Love  through  its  Divine  Wifdom  provides  Means, 
whereby  every  Man  may  be  faved  ;  therefore  to  fay 
that  there  is  any  other  Predeftination  than  Predefti- 
nation to  Heaven,  is  to  fay  that  it  cannot  provide 
Means,  whereby  Salvation  may  be  cfTeded,  when 
neverthelefs  all  are  pofftftbd  of  the  Means,  as  was 
(hewn  above,  and  thefe  are  from  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence, which  is  infinite.  But  the  Reafon  why 
there  are  feme  who  are  not  faved,  is,  becaufe  the 
Divine  Love  defires  that  Man  fliould  feel  in  himfelf 
the  Felicity  and  Bhfs  of  Heaven,  for  otherwife  it 
v/ould  be  no  Heaven  to  him  ;  and  this  cannot  be 
efteded,  unlefs  it  appears  to  Man  that  he  thinketh' 
and  willeth  from  himftlf,  for  without  that  i\|fpear- 
ance  Nothing  would  be  appropriated  to  him,  neither 
would  he  be  a  Man  ;  for  this  Reafon  there  is  a  Di- 
vine 


5'2o     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

tine  Providence,  which  is  of  the  Divine  Wifdcni 
from  the  Divine  Love.  But  this  doth  not  take 
iiway  this  Truth,  that  all  are  predeftined  or  defigned 
for  Heaven,  and  none  for  Hell ;  whereas  if  Means 
of  Salvation  were  wanting,  it  would  take  it  away  ; 
neverthelefs  that  the  Means  of  Salvation  are  provid- 
ed for  every  one,  and  that  Heaven  is  of  fuch  a  Na- 
ture, that  all,  of  whatfoever  Religion  they  be^  who 
live  w^ell,  may  have  a  Place  there,  was  fhewn  above. 
Man  is  like  the  Earth,  which  produceth  all  Kindg 
of  Fruits,  by  Virtue  of  which  Faculty  Earth  is 
Earth,  but  its  producing  evil  Fruity  doth  not  take 
away  its  Power  of  producing  good  Fruit  alfo  j  it 
would  take  it  away,  however,  if  it  could  only  pro- 
duce evil  Fruit*  Man  is  alfo  like  an  Objeftj  which 
variegates  the  Rays  of  Light  in  itfelf ;  if  it  only 
prefents  to  the  Eye  difagreeable  Colours^  it  Is  not 
the  Fault  of  the  Light,  for  the  Rays  of  Light  may 
alfo  be  variegated  fo  as  to  produce  pleafmg  Colours; 
Thirdly  :  That  tofuppofe  they  only  are  favcd^  who 
are  born  within  the  Church,  is  an  infane  Herefy. 
They  who  are  born  without  the  Church,  are  alike 
Men  with  thofe  who  are  wiihln  it ;  they  are  of  a 
like  heavenly  Origin,  and  are  equally  living  and 
immortal  Souls ;  moreover  they  have  a  Religion, 
whereby  they  acknowledge  that  there  is  a  G6d,  and 
that  they  ought  to  live  well,  and  he  who  acknowl- 
edgeth  a  God  and  liveth  well,  becometh  fpirituai 
in  his  Degree,  and  is  faved,  as  was  fliewn  above. 
It  is  alleged,  that  they  arc  not  baptized,  but  Bap- 
tifm  doth  dot  fave  any,  except  thofe  who  are  fpirit- 
Tiaily  waftied,  that  is,  regenerated,  for  Baptifm  is  a 
Sign  and  Memorial  thereof.      It  is  alleged  alfo, 

that 


The  Divine  Providenck.         521 

that  the  Lord  is  not  known  to  them,  and  that  with- 
out the  Lord  there  is  no  Salvation  ;  however,  no 
one  hath  Salvation  merely  by  the  Lord's  being 
known  to  him,  but  by  living  according  to  his  Pre- 
cepts ;  and  he  is  known  to  every  one  who  acknowl- 
edgeth  a  God,  for  the  Lord  is  the  God  of  Heavei\ 
and  Earth,  as  he  himfelf  teacheth  in  Matt,  xxviii. 
18  ;  and  in  other  Piaops.  Moreover  they  who  are 
without  the  Church,  have  mere  an  Idea  of  God  as 
a  Man,  than  the  Chriftians  ;  and  they  who  have  an 
Idea  of  God  as  a  Mail^  and  live  well,  are  accepted 
by  the  Loru,  for  they  acknovv'ledge  God  to  be  one  in 
Perfon  and  in  ElTence,  which  ChriiHans  do  not  do  ; 
they  alfo  think  of  God  in  their  Life,  for  they  con- 
fider  Evils  as  Sins  againd  God,  and  they  who  do 
this,  think  of  God  in  their  Life.  Chriflians  ha,ve 
the  Precepts  of  their  Religion  from  the  Word,  but 
there  are  few  who  draw  any  Precepts  of  Life  frotn 
it ;  the  Papifts  do  not  read  it  ;  and  they  of  the  Re- 
formed Church,  who  are  in  Faith  feparate  from 
Charity,  do  not  attend  to  thofe  Things  in  it  which 
relate  to  Life,  but  only  to  what  relates  to  Faith,  and 
yet  the  whole  Word  is  Nothing  elfe  but  the  Doc- 
trine of  Life*  Chriitianity  prevails  only  In  Europe ; 
the  Religion  of  the  Mahometans  and  Gentiles  in 
Afia,  the  Indies,  Africa,  and  America  ;  and  the 
human  Race  in  the  lad  mentioned  Parts  of  the 
World  is  ten  Times  more  numerous  than  in  the 
Chriftian  Countries,  and  in  the  latter  there  are  but 
few,  who  place  Religion  in  a  good  Life  :  What 
c-m  be  greater  Madnefs  then,  than  to  think  that 
the  latter  only  are  faved,  and  the  former  condemn- 
ed, and  that  Man  poiTefTeth  Heaven  by  his  Birth, 
S  s  s  and 


522      Angelic  Wisdom  conc£rniK5 

and  not  by  his  Life  ?  Wherefore  the  Lord  faith, 
*'  I  fay  unto  you,  that  many  fliall  come  from  the 
Eafl  and  from  the  Weft,  and  fhall  lie  down  with 
Abraham,  Ifaac,  and  Jacob,  in  the  Kingdom  of 
Heaven  ;  but  the  Children  of  the  Kingdom  fhall  be 
caft  out,''  Matt.  viii.  ii,  12.  Fourthly  :  That  t9 
fuppofe  any  of  the  human  Race  are  prcdcftined  to  he 
damned^  is  a  cruel  Hcrefy,  For  it  is  cruel  to  think, 
that  the  Lord,  who  is  Love  itfelf  and  Mercy  itfelf, 
would  fuffer  fo  vail  a  Multitude  of  Men  to  be  born 
for  Hell,  or  that  fo  many  Myriads  of  Myriads  fhould 
be  born  condemned  and  devoted,  that  is,  born 
Devils  and  Satans ;  and  that  he  would  not  -out  of 
his  Divine  Wifdom  provide,  that  they  who  live  well 
and  acknowledge  a  God,  fliould  not  be  caft  into 
everlafting  Fire  and  Torment ;  yet  the  Lord  is  the 
Creator  and  Saviour  of  all,  and  he  alone  leadeth 
all,  and  willeth  not  the  Death  of  any  one  )  there- 
fore it  is  cruel  to  think  and  believe,  that  fo  great  a 
Multitude  of  Nations  and  People  under  his  Aufpices 
and  Infpedion  fhould  be  predeilined  to  be  delivered 
as  a  Prey  to  the  Devil. 


Thai 


TiiE  Divine  Providence,         523 

That  the  Lord  cannot  aE  agakjl  the 
Laws  of  the  Divine  Providence,  be^ 
cavfe  to  aH  againji  them,  zvoidd  he  to 
aH  againjl  his  Divine  Love  and  his 
Divine  Wijdom^  confequently  againjl 
flinifelf. 


331.  TN  The  Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 
j[_  THE  Divine  Love  and  tpie  Divine 
Wisdom,  it  is  fliewn,  that  the  Lord  is  Divine  Love 
and  Divine  Wifdom,  and  that  thefe  two  Principles 
are  the  very  £//}-  and  Life,  from  which  every  Thing- 
is  and  lives  ;  moreover  it  is  fhewn,  that  the  fame 
proceedeth  from  Him,  and  that  this  proceeding 
Divine  is  Himfelf  :  Among  the  Things  which  pro- 
ceed from  Him,  the  Divine  Providence  is  primary  ; 
for  this  is  continually  iu  the  End  for  w^hich  the 
Unlverfe  was  created  :  Ihe  Operation  and  Pro- 
greiTion  of  the  End  by  its  Means  is  what  is  called 
the  Divine  Providence.  Now  forafmiich  as  the 
proceeding  Divine  is  Himfelf,  and  the  Divine  Prov- 
idence is  the  primary  Thing  that  proceedeth,  it  fol- 
lows, that  to  a6t  againll  the  Lavi'S  of  his  Divine 
Providence,  is  to  act  againft  Himfelf.  It  may  alfo 
be  faid,  that ''the  Lord  is  Providence,  as  it  is  faid 
that  God  is  Order  ;  for  the  Divine  Providence  is 
the  Divine  Order  primarilv  refpecling  tlie  Salvation 
of  Men  ^  and  as  there  is  no  Order  without  Laws, 
for  Laws  conftilute  it,  and  every  Law  derives  this 
ftom  Order,  that  it  alfo  is  Order,  it  hence  follows, 

that 


524    Angelic  Wtspop^  concerning 

that  as  God  is  Order,  he  is  alfo  the  Law  of  his  own 
Order  :  The  fame  may  be  faid  of  the  Divine  Prov- 
idence, that  as  the  Lord  is  his  own  Providence,  he 
is  alfo  the  Law  of  his  own  Providence  :    Hence  It 
is  evident,  that  the  Lord  cannot  act  againft  the  Laws 
of  his  Divine  Provid'eiice,  becaufe  to  ad  againft 
them  would  be  to  acl  againft  Himfelf.     Now  there 
can  be  no  Operation  but  upon  a  SubjeQ,  and  by 
Means  operating  vipon  that  Subjed  :    Operation, 
except  upon  a  jSubjcft,  and  upon  that  by  certain 
INIeans,  is  not  poilible  ;  the  Subject  of  the  Divine. 
Providence  is  Man  ;  the  Mean$  are  Divine  Truths 
whereby  he  hath  Wifdom,  and  Divine  Goods  where- 
by he  hath  Love  ;   the  Divine  Providence  by  thefe. 
Means  operates  its  End,  which  is  the  Salvation  of 
Man,   fov.   he  who  willeth   an  End,   alfo  willeth, 
Means,  wherefore  when  he  operates  the  End,  he 
operates  it  by  Means,     But  thef$  Particulars  will, 
be  made  more  evident,  when  they  are  reviewed  in. 
the  following  Order.       1.  That  the  Operation  of 
the  Divine  providence  in  faving  Man  begins  at  his. 
Birth,  and  continues  to  tl;re  End  of  his  Life,  and 
afterwards  to  Eternity.     2.  That  the  Operation  of 
the  Divine  Providence  is  continually  effected  by 
Means  out  of  pure  Mercy.    3.  That  momentaneous 
Salvation  from  immediate  Mercy  u  not  poffible. 
4.  That  momentaneous  Salvation  from  immediate. 
Mercy  is  the  fiery  flying  Serpent  in  the  Church. 

332.  L  That  the  Operation  of  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence in  faving  Man^  begins  at  his  Birth ^  and  continues , 
io  the  End  of  his  Lfe^  and  afterwards  to  Eternity. 
I:  was  ftiewn  above,  that  a  Heaven  out  of  the  hu- 
man Race  h  the  very  End  cr  Object  of  the  Creation., 

of 


The  Divine  Providence.        ^2^ 

of  the  Univerfe,  and  that  that  End  in  its  Operation 
and  Progrelfion  is  the  Divine  Providence  for  the 
Salvation  of  Men,  and  that  all  Things  which  are 
without  Man,  and  fcrve  for  his  Ufe,  are  fecondary 
Ends  of  Creation,  which  in  Sum  have  Relation  to 
all  Things  that  exiil  in  the  three  Kingdoms,  the 
Animal,  Vegetable,  and  Mineral ;  when  thefe  Things 
proceed  conftantly  according  to  the  Laws  of  Divine 
Order  eftabHfhed  at  their  firfl  Creation,  how  then 
can  the  primary  End  [Object,]  which  is  the  Salva- 
tion of  the  human  Race,  do  otherwife  than  proceed 
cpnflantly  according  to  the  Laws  of  its  Order, 
which  are  the  Laws  of  the  Divine  Providence  ? 
Only  obferve  a  Fruit  Tree  ;  doth  it  not  firfl:  fpring 
from  a  fmall  Seed  as  a  tender  Germ,  and  afterwards 
grow  fucceflively  into  a  Stalk,  and  fpread  forth  its 
Branches,  which  are  then  covered  with  Leaves,  anc^ 
afterwards  put  forth  Flowers,  and  bear  Fruit,  where- 
in it  depofits  new  Seeds,  by  which  it  provides  for 
its  Perpetuity  ?  It  is  the  fame  with  every  Shyub  and 
every  Herb  of  the  Field :  Do  not  all  and  fmgular 
Things  t .serein  conflantly  and  wonderfully  proceed 
according  to  the  Laws  of  their  Order  from  End  ta 
End  ?  Why  then  ihould  not  the  primary  End,  which 
ia  a  Heaven  out  of  the  human  Race,  do  the  fame  ? 
Can  any  Thing  pofiibly  take  Place  in  its  Progreflion, 
which  doth  not  moft  conftantly  proceed  according 
to  the  Laws  of  the  Divine  Providence  ?  Forafmuch 
as  there  is  a  Correfpondence  between  the  Life  of 
Man  and  the  Vegetation  of  a  Tree,  make  a  Parallel- 
ifm,  or  Compaiifon  ;  the  Infancy  of  Man  is  com- 
paratively like  the  tender  Germ  of  a  Tree  iprlnging 
Q}it  of  the  Earth  from  the  Seed  j  the  Childhood 

and 


5^6    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

and  Youth  of  Man  is  like  thj^t  Germ  increafing  to 
a  Stem  and  Branches ;  natural  Truths,  which  every 
Man  fnd  imbibes,  are  like  the  Leaves  with  which 
its  Branches  are  covered,  Leaves  having  no  other 
Signification  in  the  Word  ;  Man's  Initiation  into 
the  Marriage  of  Good  and  True,  or  the  fpiritual 
Marriage,  is  like  the  Flowers  which  that  Tree  pro- 
duceth  in  the  Spring  Time,  fpiritual  Truths  being 
the  fmall  Leaves  of  thofe  Flowers  ;  the  firil  Fruits 
of  the  fpiritual  Marriage  are  like  the  Beginnings  of 
the  Fruit ;  fpiritual  Goods,  v/hich  are  the  Goods  of 
Charity,  are  like  the  Fruit,  and  are  alfo  fignified 
by  Fruit  in  the  Word  ;  the  Prpcreations  of  Wifdon^ 
from  Love,  are  hke  the  Seeds,  by  Means  of  which 
Procreations  Man  becometh  like  a  Garden  and  a 
Paradife  :  Man  is  alfo  defcribed  in  the  Word  by  a 
Tree,  and  his  Wifdom  from  Love  by  a  Garden  ; 
Nothing  elfe  is  fignified  by  the  Garden  of  Eden, 
Man  indeed  is  an  evil  Tree  from  the  Seed,  but  yet 
there  is  provided  an  Ingrafting  or  Inoculation  of 
Branches  taken  from  the  Tree  of  Life,  by  which 
the  Juices  drawn  from  the  old  Root  are  c: nverted 
into  Juices  producing  good  Fruit.  This  Compari- 
fon  is  made,  in  Order  that  it  may  be  known,  that 
when  there  is  fo  conftant  a  Progreffion  of  the  Diving 
Providence  in  the  Vegetation  and  Regeneration 
(Reprodudion)  of  Trees,  it  muit  by  ail  Means  be 
conftant  in  the  Reformation  and  Regeneration  of 
Men,  who  are  of  much  more  Value  than  Trees,  ac- 
cording to  thefe  Words  of  the  Lord,  "  Are  not  five 
Sparrows  fold  for  two  Farthings,  yet  not  one  of 
them  is  forgotten  before  God  ;  but  even  the  very 
Hairs  of  your  Head  are  all  numbered  ;  fear  not^^ 

«  therefore  j 


The  Divine  Providence.        527 

therefore ;  yc  are  of  more  Value  than  many  Spar- 
rows. And  which  of  you  with  taking  Thought 
can  add  to  his  Stature  one  Cubit ;  if  ye  then  be  not 
zblc  to  do  that  Thing  which  is  lead,  why  take  ye 
Thought  for  the  reft  ;  confider  the  Lilies  how  they 
grow  :  If  God  fo  clothe  the  Grafs,  which  is  to  day 
in  the  Field,  and  to-morrow  is  call  into  the  Oven, 
how  much  more  will  he  clothe  you,  O  ye  of  hide 
Faith,"  Luke  xii.  6,  7,  25,  26,  27,  28. 

333.  It  was  faid  that  the  Operation  of  the  Di- 
vine Providence  in  faving  Man  begins  at  his  Birth, 
and  continues  to  the  End  of  his  Life  ;  that  this  may 
be  underllood,  it  i^  to  be  noted,  that  the  Lord  feeth 
what  Man  is,  and  forefeeth  what  he  deiireth  to  be, 
•confequently  what  he  will  be  ;  and  in  Order  that 
he  may  be  a  Man,  and  thereby  immortal,  the  Free- 
dom of  his  Will  cannot  be  taken  away,  as  hath 
been  abundantly  fhewn  above,  wherefore  the  Lord 
forefeeth  his  State  after  Death,  and  provides  for  it 
from  his  Birth  to  the  End  of  his  Life  5  with  the 
Wicked  he  provides  by  permitting  and  continually 
withdrawing  them  from  Evils,  but  with  the  Good 
he  provides  by  leading  them  to  Good  ;  thus  the  Di- 
vine Providence  is  continually  in  the  Operation  of 
faving  Man  5  but  more  cannot  be  faved  than  defire 
to  be  faved,  and  they  defire  to  be  faved,  who  ac- 
knowledge God,  and  are  led  by  him  ;  and  they  do 
not  defire  to  be  faved,  who  do  not  acknowledge 
God,  but  lead  or  guide  themfelves ;  for  the  latter 
do'  not  think  of  eternal  Life,  and  Salvation,  where- 
as the  former  do :  This  the  Lord  feeth,  but  ftill 
leadeth  them,  and  leadeth  them  according  to  the 
Laws  of  his  Divine  Providence,  againft  which  he 

cannot 


528    Angelic  Wisi^oM  concsrking 

cannot  a6l,  becaufe  to  adt  againfl:  them,  would  be  t^ 
ai5l  aga'uift  his  Divine  Love  and  againil  his  Divine 
Wifdorn,  which  is  to  act  againfi  himfelf.  Now 
forarmuch  as  he  forefeeth  the  State  of  all  after 
Death,  and  alfo  forefeeth  the  Places  of  thofe,  who 
are  Hot  willing  to  be  faved,  in  Hell,  and  the  Places 
of  thofe,  who  arc  willing  to  be  faved,  in  Heaven,  it 
follows,  that,  as  was  fald,  he  provideth  for  the  Wick- 
ed  their  Places  by  permitting  and  withdrawing,  and 
Places  for  the  Good  by  leading  them  ;  which,  un- 
lefs  it  were  done  continually  from  the  Birth  of  eve-.^ 
ry  one  to  his  Life's  End,  neither  Heaven  nor  Hell 
could  fubfift  ;  for  without  fuch  Forefight,  and  Prov- 
idence at  the  fame  Time,  both  Heaven  and  Hell 
would  be  Nothing  but  Confufion  :  That  every  one 
Jiath  his  Place  provided  for  him  by  Means  of  the 
Lord's  Foreknowledge,  may  be  feen  above,  n.  202, 
20^*  This  may  be  illuftrated  by  the  following  Com- 
parifon ;  if  an  Archer  or  Alarkfman  were  to  flioot 
at  a  Mark,  and  a  Line  were  drawn  from  the  Mark 
to  the  Didance  of  a  Mile  beyond  it ;  if  in  fnOoting, 
the  Arrow  or  Ball  were  to  mifs  the  Mark  only  a 
Nail's  Breadth,  at  the  End  of  the  Mile  it  w^culd  di- 
verge immenfely  from  the  Line  drawn  beyond  the 
Mark  ;  fo  it  would  be,  if  the  Lord  did  not  every 
Moment,  yea  every  the  mod  minute  Point  of  Time, 
refpecl  Eternity  in  forefeeing  and  providing  every 
one  his  Place  after  Death  ;  but  tliis  is  done  by  the 
Lord,  becaufe  all  the  Future  is  piefent  to  him,  and 
all  the  Prefent  is  to  him  eternal.  That  the  Divine 
Providence,  in  all  it  doeth,  hath  Refpeftjo  Infinity 
and  Eternity,  may  be  feen  above,  n.  46  to  Gg^  214, 
and  the  fubfec^uent  Numbers. 

334-  It 


The  Divine  i^ROviDENCE.         529 

334.  It  was  laid  that  the  Operation  of  the  Divine 
j?rovidencc   continues  to  Eternity,  becaufe   every 
Angel  is  perfected  in  Wifdom  to  Eternity  ;  but  ev- 
ery one  according  to  the  Degree  of  AfieQion  for 
Goodnefs  and  Truth,  in  which  h^  was  when  he  de- 
parted out  of  the  WorlJ  ^  it  is  this  Degree  which  is 
perfecled  to  Eternity  ;  what  is  beyond  this  Degree, 
is  without  the  Angel,  and  not  within  him,  and  that 
which  is  without  him,  cannot  be  perfecjled  within 
him :  This  is  meant  by  the  good  Meafure,  prefTed 
down,  fliaken,  and  running  over,  which  fhall  be 
given  into  the  Bofom  of  thofe,  who  give  and  forgive 
others,  Luke  vii.  2)1 -i  3^  \    that  is,  who  are  in  the 
Good  of  Charity. 

'i^'XfS*  •^^'    ^''^^^  ^^^^  OperaiiGTi  of  the  Dhvine  Proisi- 
dence  is  continualhj  effected  by  Means  out  of  pure  Mer- 
cy,    There  are  Means  and  Modes  of  the  'Divine 
Providence ;  Means  are  all  thofe  Things,  by  Virtue 
whereof  Man  is  made  Man,  and  perfecled  with  Re- 
fped  to  his  Underdanding  and  his  Will  j    Modes 
are  thofe  Things  whereby  fuch  Means  arc  efFeded. 
The  Means,  by  Virtue  whereof  Man  is  made  Man, 
and  perfected  with  Refped  to  his  Underdanding, 
are  included  under  the  general  Term  or  Apellation 
of  Truths,  which  become  Ideas  in  the  Thought,  and 
are  called  Things  in  the  Memory,  and  in  themfelvcf; 
are  Knowledges,  from  whi^h  Sciences  are  derived. 
All  thefe  Means  confidered  in  ti;icmfelves  are  fpir- 
itual ;    but  whereas  they   exifl  in  Things   natural, 
from  their  Clothing  or   Covering  they   appear  as 
natural    Things,   and    fome    as    material.      Thefe 
Meens  are  infinite  in  Number,  and  infinite  in  Varie- 
ty j    they  are  n:cre  or  lefs  iimple  and  compound, 
T  T  t  and 


530    Angelic  Wisdom  concerkiNO 

and  more  or  lefs  perfect  or  imperfecl:.  There  are 
Means  for  forming  and  perfeding  civil  natural  Life-, 
alfo  for  forming  and  perfefting  moral  rational  Life  ; 
and  likewife  for  forming  and  perfefting  fpiritual  ce- 
leftial  Life.  Thefe  Means  fucceed,  one  Kind  after 
another,  from  Infancy  to  the  latefl  Age  of  Man, 
and  after  that  to  Eternity ;  and  as  they  fucceed  by 
increafmg,  thofe  which  were  prior  become  Means  o^' 
thofe  which  are  pollcrior,  inafmuch  as  they  enter 
into  every  1  hing  that  hath  a  Form  as  mediate  Can- 
fes,  for  from  thefe  every  Effect  or  every  Conclufion 
is  efiicient,  and  thence  becomes  a  Ciiufe  5  thus  Pof- 
teriors  fuccefiiveiy  become  Means  or  Mediates  : 
And  whereas  this  goes  on  to  Eternity,  there  is  no 
Poftreme  or  Ultimate  that  clofes  the  whole ;  for  as 
Eternity  is  without  End,  ^o  Wifdom,  which  increaf- 
eth  to  Eternity,  is  without  End  :  If  there  were  any 
End  to  Wifdom  in  a  wife  Man,  the  Delight  of  his 
Wifdom,  which  confids  in  its  perpetual  Multiplica- 
tion and  Fructification,  would  perilh,  and  in  Place 
of  it  would  fucceed  the  Delight  of  Glory^  in  which 
alone  there  is  no  celellial  Life ;  in  fuch  Cafe  a  Man 
no  longer  becomes  wife  like  a  young  Man,  but  like 
an  old  Man,  and  at  length  like  a  decrepid  Man. 
Although  the  Wifdom  of  a  wife  Man  in  Heaven 
increafes  to  Eternity,  yet  there  is  no  fuch  Approx- 
imation of  Angelic  Wifdom  to  the  Divine  Wifdom 
as  to  reach  it ;  it  is  comparatively  like  what  is  faid 
of  a  right  Line  drawn  about  an  Hyperbola,  contin- 
ually approaching,  but  never  touching  it  ;  and  like 
■what  is  faid  of  fquaring  the  Circle.  Hence  it  may 
appear,  what  is  meant  by  Means,  by  which  the  Di- 
vine Providence  operates,  that  Man  may  be  Man, 

and 


The  Divine  Providence.         r^a 

and  be  perfe6led  in  Regard  to  his  Underflanding, 
and  that  theie  Means  are  included  under  the  gene- 
ral Appellation  cf  Truths.  There  are  alfo  a  hke 
Number  of  Means,  whereby  Man  is  formed  and 
perffccled  in  Regard  to  his  Will,  but  thefe  are  com- 
prehended under  the  general  Appellation  of  Goods  ; 
from  the  latter  Man  derives  Love^  from  the  former 
Wifdom:  The  Conjundion  of  them  makes  the 
Man,  for  fuch  as  the  Conjundion  is,  fuch  is  the 
Man :  It  is  this  Conjundion  which  is  called  the 
Marriage  of  Goo.dnefs  and  Truth. 

336.  B.ut  the  Modes,  by  which  the  Divine  Provi- 
dence operates  upon  Means,  and  by  Means  in  form- 
ing Man,  and  perfeding  him,  are  alfo  infinite  in 
Number;,  and  infinite  in  Variety  ;   in  Number  they 
are  as  many  as  there  are  Operations  of  the  Divine 
Wifdom  fi-om  the  Divine  Love  for  the  Salvation  of 
Man,  confequently  as  many  as  there  are  Operations 
of  the  Divine  Providence  according  to  its  Laws, 
^boye  treated  of.     That  thefe  Modes  are  of  a  very 
hidden  Nature,  was  ilkidrated  above  by  the  Opera- 
tions of  the  Soul  upon  the  Body,  concerning  which 
Man  knoweth  fo  little,  that  it  can  fcarcely  be  calU 
ed  any  Thing ;  as  hov/  the  Eye,  the  Ear,  the  Nofe, 
the  Tongue,  and  the  Skin  feel,  and  how  the  Stom- 
ach digeds,  the  Mefentery  prepares  the  Chyle,  the 
Liver  elaborates  the  Blood,  the  Pancreas  and  Spleen 
purify  it,  the  Kidneyr.  feparate  impure  Humors  from 
it,  the  Heart  coUeds  and  diflrlbutcs  it,  the  Lungs 
decant  it,  and  libw  the  Brain  fublimates  the  Blood 
and   vivifies  It    ;^new,    befidcs    innumerable    other 
things,  all  which  are  Arcana,   which  fcarce  any 
Science  can  enter  into.     Ilcnce  it  is  evident,  that 

(till 


S2^     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Hill  lefs  can  the  fecrct  Operations  of  the  Divine 
Providence  be  entered  into  j  it  is  fufficient  that  the 
Laws  of  it  be  known. 

337.  The  Reafon  why  the  Divine  Providence  op-. 
erates  all  I'hings  out  of  pure  Mercy,  is,  becaufe  the 
Divine  EfTence  itfelf  is  pure  Love,  and  it  is  that 
which  operates  by  the  Divine  Wifdom,  and  that 
Operation  is  what  is  called  the  Divine  Providence. 
The  Reafon  why  that  pure  Love  is  pure  Mercy,  is, 
I.  Becaufe  it  operates  with  all  who  are  in  the  whole 
World,  who  are  fuch,  that  they  can  do  Nothing 
from  themfelves.  2.  1  hat  it  operates  with  the  E- 
vil  and  Unjufl,  as  well  as.  with  the  Good  and  Jul!:. 
3.  That  it  leadeth  the  former  in  Hell,  and  fnatcheth 
them  <?ut  of  it.  4.  That  it  coritinually  drives  with 
them  there,  and  tighteth  for  them  againfl:  the  Devi!,^ 
that  is,  againfl  the  Evils  of  Hell.  5.  That  there- 
fore it  came  into  the  World,  and  underwent  Temp-, 
tations  even  to  the  lall  of  them,  which  was  the  Paf- 
licn  of  the  Crofs.  6.  That  it  a£ls  continually  with 
the  Unclean  that  it  may  cleanfe  them,  and  with  the, 
Infane  that  it  may  heal  them ;  confequently  it  la-t 
hours  continually  out  of  pure  Mercy. 

338.  IlL  That  moment anecus  Sahaiioi  from  imme^. 
diaie  Mercy  is  not  po/fible..  In  the  foregoing  Pages^ 
it  is  fliewn,  that  the  Operation  of  the  Divine  Prov- 
idence for  the  Salvation  of  Man,  begins  ajt  his  Birth, 
and  continues  to  the  End  of  his  Life,  and  afterwards 
to  Eternity  ;  alfo  that  this  Operation  is  continually 
carried  on  by  Means  cut  of  pure  Mercy ;  hence  it 
follows,  that  there  is  no  fuch  Thing  as  momentane- 
ous  .Salvation,  nor  immediate  Mercy.  But  forafmuch 
us  many,  who  do  net  think  at  all  from  the  Under- 

{landing 


The  Divine  Providence.         533 

ftanding  concerning  Matters  of  the  Church  or  of 
Religion,  believe  that  they  are  faved  from  immediate 
Mercy,  and  confecjuently  that  Salvation  is  momen- 
taneous,  and  yet  this  is  contrary  to  the  Truth,  and 
is  moreover  a  hurtful  Belief,  it  is  requifite  that  it 
fhould  be  weighed  in  its  proper  Order,  i.  That  a 
Belief  in  mcmentaneous  Salvation  from  immediate 
Mercy  is  taken  from  the  natural  State  of  Man* 
2.  That  fuch  a  Belief  proceeds  from  Ignorance  of 
his  fpiritual  State,  which  is  totally  different  from  his 
natural  State.  3.  That  the  Dodrincs  of  all  the 
Churches  in  the  Chrillian  World  confidc^ed  interi- 
orly are  againft  momentaneous  Salvation  from  im- 
mediate Mercy  ;  but  dill  that  it  is  eftablifhed  by 
Men  of  the  external  Church,  First  :  That,  Faith 
in  momentaneous  Salvation  from  immediate  Mercy  is 
taken  from,  the  natural  Slate  of  Man,  The  natural 
Man  from  his  own  State  knows  no  otherwifc  than 
that  heavenly  Joy  is  like  worldly  Joy,  and  enters  by 
Influx  and  is  received  in  the  fame  Manner  ;  for  Ex- 
ample, that  it  is  like  a  Man's  becoming  rich,  who 
had  been  poor,  and  fo  being  removed  from  a  forrow- 
ful  State  of  Poverty  to  a  happy  State  of  Opulence  ; 
or  like  a  Man's  being  honoured,  who  had  before 
been  of  no  Eftimation,  and  fo  being  removed  from 
a  State  of  Contempt  to  a  State  of  Glory ;  or  like 
going  out  of  the  Iloufe  of  Mourning  to  nuptial  Joys : 
Foraimuch  as  thefe  States  can  be  changed  within  a 
Day,  and  they  have  no  other  Idea  of  the  State  of 
Man  after  Death,  it  is  evident  whence  it  comes,  that 
there  is  a  Belief  in  momentaneous  Salvation  fioul  im- 
mediate Mercy.  Moreover  in  the  World  it  is  pof- 
ftblc  for  many  Pcrfons  to  be  in  one  Companvj  and 

in 


534     Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

in  one  civil  Society,  and  to  be  merry  together,  anct 
yet  to  differ  all  of  them  in  their  Minds ;  this  is  the. 
Cafe  in  a  natural  State  ;  the  Reafon  is,  becaiife  thvi 
External  of  one  Man  may  be  accommodated  to  the 
External  of  another  Man,  although  their  Internals 
be  diffimilar :  From  this  natural  State  it  is  alfo  con, 
eluded,  that  Salvation  confifts  only  in  Ad m.ilTion  ta 
the  Angels  in  Heaven,  and  that  AdmifTion  is  from 
immediate  Mercy ;  wherefore  it  is  alfo  believed, 
that  Heaven  can  as  well  be  given  to  the  Wicked 
as  the  Good,  and  that  then  there  is  a  Confociation 
fimilar  to  what  takes  Place  in  the  World,  only  with 
this  Difference,  that  it  is  full  of  Joy.  Secondly  : 
^ut  that  this  Faith  proceeds  from  Igntrance  of  a  fp'irii' 
ual  State,  which  is  totally  different  from-  a  natural 
State.  The  fpiritual  State,  which  is  the  State  of 
Man  after  Death,  is  treated  of  in  many  Places  above, 
where  it  is  fhewn,  that  every  one  is  his  own  Love, 
and  that  no  one  can  live  with  any  others  but  fuch 
as  are  in  a  fimilar  Love,  and  that  if  he  comes  to 
others,  he  cannot  refpire  his  own  Life ;  hence  it  is, 
that  every  one  after  Death  enters  into  a  Society 
iike  himfelf,  which  is  compofed  of  fuch  as  are  in 
a  fimilar  Love,  and  that  he  acknowledges  them  as 
his  Relatives  and  Friends ;  and  what  is  wonderful 
when  he  meets  with  them  and  fees  them,  it  is  as 
(hough  he  had  known  them  from  his  Infancy  ;  this 
Circumilance  has  its  Ground  in  the  Nature  of  fpir- 
itual Affinity  and  Friendlliip  ;  yea  more,  no  one  in 
a  Society  can  dwell  in  any  other  Hoiifc  than  his 
own  j  every  one  in  tlic  Society  hath  his  own  lloufe, 
which  he  finds  prepared  for  him  as  ibon  as  he 
comes  into   the  Society  ,    he  may  be  in  Company 

with 


The  Divine  Providence.        533; 

\vith  others  out  of  his  Houfe,  but  yet  he  cannot 
dwell  an]/  where  but  in  it ;  and  Tvhat  is  ftill  more, 
ho  one  can  fit  in  an  Apartment  in  another's  Houfe, 
in  any  Place  but  his  own  ;  if  he  fits  in  any  other 
Place,  he  becomes  impotent  of  Mind  and  filent ; 
and  what  is  wonderful,  every  one  when  he  enters  a 
Room  knows  his  own  Place  ;  it  is  the  fame  in  Tem- 
ples, and  alfo  in  AiTemblies  when  they  are  met  to- 
gether. From  thefe  Circumftances  it  is  evident, 
that  a  fpiritual  State  is  totally  different  from  a  natur* 
al  State,  and  indeed  fuch,  that  no  one  can  be  any 
where  but  v>'here  his  reigning  Love  is,  for  there  the 
Delight  cf  his  Life  is,  and  every  one  defires  to  be 
In  the  Delight  of  his  Life,  and  the  Spirit  of  a  Man 
cannot  be  any  where  elfe,  becaufe  that  conftitutejs 
the  Life  of  him,  yea,  his  very  Refpiration,  as  alfo  the 
Pulfation  of  his  Heart :  It  is  otherwife  in  the  natur- 
al World,  where  the  External  of  Man  is  taught 
from  his  Infancy  to  feign  in  his  Countenance, 
Speech,  and  Gefture,  Delights  different  from  thofe 
of  his  Internal ;  wherefore  from  the  State  of  a 
Man  in  the  natural  World,  a  Conclufion  cannot  be 
formed  concerning  his  State  after  Death,  for  the 
State  of  every  one  after  Death  is  fpiritual,  which  is 
fuch,  that  he  cannot  be  any  where  elfe  but  in  the 
Delight  of  his  Love,  which  he  acquired  to  himfelf 
by  his  Life  in  the  natural  World.  Hence  it  may 
appear  manifeilly,  that  no  one  can  be  let  into  the 
Delight  of  Heaven,  which  in  general  is  called  heav- 
enly Joy,  who  is  in  the  Delight  of  Hell,  or,  what 
amounts  to  the  fame,  he  cannot  be  let  into  the  De- 
light of  Good,  who  is  already  in  the  Delight  of  E- 
vil ;    which  may  be    Hill   more  clearly  concluded 

from 


^36    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

from  this  Circumftance,  that  the  Liberty  of  afcend^ 
ing  into  Heaven  is  not  refufed  any  one  after  Death, 
the  Way  is  fliewn  him,  Leave  is  given,  and  he  is  in-. 
troduced  ;  but  when  he  comes  into  Heaven,  and  by 
breathing  draws  in  the  Delight  thereof,  if  he  be  ia 
Evil,  he  begins  to  feel  Anguifli  in  his  Bread:,  and  to 
be  tormented  at  Heart,  and  to  experience  a  Swoon, 
in  which  he  writhes  himfelf  nke  a  Snake  placed  be- 
fore the  Fire,  and  with  his  Face  averted  from  Hea- 
ven and  turned  toward  Helijcfcapes  headlong, neith- 
er can  he  reil  but  in  a  Society  of  his  own  prevailing 
Love  :  Hence  it  may  appear,  that  to  go  to  Heaven 
is  not  given  to  any  one  from  immediate  Mercy, 
confequently  that  it  does  not  confifi:  merely  in  Ad- 
miffion,  as  many  in  this*  World  imagine  j    alfo  that 
neither  is  Salvation  m.pmentaneous,  for  this  fuppo- 
fes  immediate  Mercy.     There  were  feme,  who  ia 
the  World    believed   in    momentaneous    Salvation 
from  immediate.  Mercy,    and  when  they  became 
Spirits,  were   defn'ous  that  their  infernal  Delight, 
or  Delight  of  Evil,  by  Means  of  the  Divine  Om- 
nipotence and  the  Divine  M^ercy  together,  mig^ht  be 
changed    into  heavenly   Delight,    or    Delight   of 
Good  ;  and  forafmuch  as  this  was  tlieir  Defire,  it 
was  alfo  permitted  that  it  ihould  be  done  by  Angels, 
w  ho  inftantly  removed  their  infernal  Delight ;  but 
then,  by  Reafon  that  it  w^as  the  Delight  of  their 
Life,  confequently  their  Life  irfilf,   tiiey  lay  as  if 
they  were  dead,  deprived  of  all  Senfe  and  Motion, 
nor   was  it  polTible  to  infufe  into  them  any  other 
Life  but  their  own,  becaufe  all  Things  of  their  Minds 
and  Bodies  were  in  a  State  of  Retroverfion,  and 
could  not  be  contraarywiie   retorted   or  wrelfed ; 

wherefore 


TtiS  Divine  Providencie.        537 

wherefore  they  were  revived  by  the  IntromlfTion  of 
the  Delight  of  their  Life's  Love  ;  afterwards  they 
faid,  that  in  that  State  they  felt  interiorly  Something 
direful  and  horrible,  which  they  would  not  make 
known  ;    wherefore  it  is  faid  in  Heaven,  that  it  js 
eafier  to  convert  an  Owl  into  a  Dove,  or  a  Serpent 
into  a  Lamb,  than  an  infernal  Spirit  into  an  Angel 
of  Heaven.     Thirdly:  Thiit  the  Doffr'mes  ofth^ 
Churches  in  ilye  Chrlflian  Worlds  interiorly  confidered^ 
tire  contrary  to  momeyitamous  Salvation  from  immediate 
Mercy ^  hut  yet  that  it  is  efiab/i/Jjed  by  Mc?i  of  the  exter- 
nal Church.     The  Do6lrines  of  all  Churches,  view- 
ed interiorly,  teach  Life ;  where  is  there  any  Church 
whofe  DoQrine  doth  not  teach,  that  Man  ought  to 
examine  himfelf ;  to  fee  and  acknowledge  his  Sins ; 
to  confefs  them,  repent,  and  then  lead  a  new  Life  ? 
Who  is  admitted  to  the  holy  Communion  without 
this  Admonition  and  Command  ?   Inquire,  and  yoU 
will  be  confirmed*     What  Church  is  there,  whofe 
Dodrine  is  not  founded  upon  the  Precepts  of  the 
Decalogue?  and  the  Precepts  of  the  Decalogue  are 
iPrecepts   of  Life.      What   Man   is   there   of  the 
Church,  in  v;hom  there  Is  any  Thing  of  the  Churchy 
who  doth  not  acknowledge,  as  foon  as  he  hears  it, 
that  he  is  faved  who  lives  well,  and  he  is  condemned 
•who  lives  wickedly  ?  Thei*efore  in  the  Athanafian 
Creed,  which  is  alfo  the  Dodrine  received  in  the 
Whole  Chriftian  World,  it  is  faid,  "  That  the  Lord 
will  come  to  judge  the  Quick  arid  the  Dead,  and 
then  they  who  have  done  Good,  will  enter  into  Life 
everlafting,  and  they  who  have  done  Evil,  into  ev- 
erlafling  Fire."    From  which  it  is  evident,  that  the 
I)odrincs  of  all  Churches,  viewed  interiorly,  teach 
U  u  VI  Life, 


538     Angelic  Wisdom  coNCERi^iNG 

Life,  and  forafmuch  as  they  teach  Life,  they  teach 
that  Salvation  is  according  to  Life  ;  and  the  Life  of 
Man  is  not  infpired  in  a  Moment,  but  formed  fuc- 
ceflively,  and  reformed  as  Man  fhunneth  Evils  as 
Sins ;  confequently  as  he  knoweth  what  Sin  is,  and 
fees  and  ackno-^vledges  it,  and  as  he  doth  not  will  it, 
and  therefore  defifteth  from  it ;  and  as  he  alfo  know- 
eth the  Means,  which  relate  to  the  Knowledge  of 
God ;  by  thefe,  which  cannot  be  infufed  in  a  Mo- 
ment, the  Life  of  Man  is  formed  and  reformed  ;  for 
hereditary  Evil  is  to  be  removed,  which  in  itfelf  is 
infernal,  and  in  Place  of  it.  Good,  which  in  itfelf  is 
cdeftial,  is  to  be  implanted  :  Man,  from  his  heredit- 
ary Evil,  may  be  compared  to  an  Owl  as  to  Under- 
fcanding,*  and  to  a  Serpent  as  to  Will  5  and  a  reform- 
ed Man  may  be  compared  to  a  Dove  as  to  Under- 
flanding,  and  to  a  Lamb  as  to  Will ;  who  doth  not 
fee,  that  knoweth  any  Thing  of  the  Life  of  Man, 
that  this  cannot  be  eifeded,  except  the  Nature  of 
the  Owl  and  Serpent  be  taken  away,  and  the  Nature 
of  the  Dove  and  Lamb  be  implanted  ?  Moreover  it 
is  well  known,  ^hat  every  intelligent  Man  may  be- 
come more  intelligent,  and  every  wife  Man  more 
wife,  and  that  Intelligence  and  Wifdom  in  Man  may 
increafe,  and  in  fome  do  increafe^  from  Infancy  to 
their  Life's  End,  and  that  thus  Man  is  continually 
perfected.  Why  iliould  not  this  be  more  eminently 
the  Cafe  with  fpiritual  Intelligence  and  Wifdom, ^ 
which  afcends  by  two  Degrees  above  natural  In-- 
telligence  and  Wifdom  ?  and  when  it  afcends,  it 
becomes  Angelic,  which  is  unutterable ;  that  this 
in  Angels  increafes  to  Eternity,  was  faid  above  : 
Who  may  not  comprehend,  if  he  will,  that  what 

h 


The  Divine  Providence.         539 

Ji  perfected  to  Eternity,  cannot  pollibly  be  perfed 
\n  an  luftant  ? 

330.  Hence  then  it  is  evident,  that  all  who  think 
from  t«ife  concerning  Salvation,  do  not  think  of  any 
momentaneous  Salvation  from  immediate  Mercy, 
t)ut  of  the  Means  of  Salvation,  on  which  and  by 
which  the  Lord  operates  according  to  the  Laws  of 
his  Divine  Providence,  therefore  by  which  Man  is 
led  out  of  pure  Mercy  by  the  Lord.  But  they  who 
do  not  think  from.  Life  concerning  Salvation,  imag-» 
ine  there  is  Something  momentaneous  in  Salvation, 
and  Something  immediate  in  Mercy  ;  as  they  do  alfo, 
who  feparate  Faith  from  Charity ;  Charity  is  Life,  and 
they  fuppofe  there  is  Something  momentaneous  in 
Faith,  at  the  Hour  of  Death,  if  not  before ;  they  al- 
fo do  the  fame,  who  believe  RemifTion  of  Sins  with-^ 
out  Repentance  to  bp  Abfolution  from.  Sins,  and  con^ 
fequently  Salvation,  and  who  with  this  Idea  receive 
the  Lord's  Supper  ;  likewife  they,  who  have  Faith  in 
the  Indulgences  of  Monks  ;  and  in  their  Prayers  for 
the  Dead  ;-  and  in  their  Difpenfa^tions  grounded  in 
the  Pov/er  they  claim  over  the  Souls,  of  Men. 

340.  IV.  T/jat  ■momentaneous  Salvation  from  imme- 
diate Mercy  is  the  fiery  fiying  Serpent  in  the  Church  : 
By  a  fiery  flying  Serpent  is  meant  f.vil  fiiining  from 
infernal  Fire,  the  fame  as  is  meant  by  the  fiery  flying 
Serpent  in  Ifaiah,  '*  Rejoice  not  thou  whole  Palel- 
tina,  becaufe  the  Rod  of  him  that  fmote  thee  is 
broken  ;  for  out  of  the  Serpent's  Root  fiiall  come 
forth  a  Cockatrice,  and  his  Fruit  fliall  be  a  fiery 
flying  Serpent,"  xiv.  29.  Such  an  Evil  flieth  in 
l;he  Church,  when  there  is  Faith  in  momentaneous 
S?4vation  from  immediate  Mercy  j   for  thereby,  i. 

Religion 


54^    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

Religion  is  aboliflied.  2.  Security  is  induced.  3^ 
Damnation  is  imputed  to  the  Lord.  As  to  what  con- 
cerns  the  First,  That  thereby  PMi^ion  h  abolified  ; 
there  are  two  Ellentiais,  and  at  the  fame  Time  Uni- 
verfals  of  Religion,  an  Acknowledgment  of  a  Godj 
and  Repentance  ;  thefe  two  EiTentials  are  ufelefs  tQ 
thofe,  who  think  to  be  faved  barely  from  Mercy, 
\vithout  Regard  to  their  Lives  ;  for  what  Need 
have  they  of  any  Thing  more,  than  to  fay,  God 
have  Mercy  upon  me  ?  As  to  every  Thing  elfe  ap- 
pertaining to  Religion,  they  are  in  the  Dark,  yea 
they  love  Darknefs :  Of  the  firil  ElTential  of  the 
Church,  which  is  an  Acknowledgment  of  God, 
they  only  think^  What  is  God  \  who  ever  faw  him  \ 
If  it  is  aflirmed  that  there  is  a  God,  and  that  he  is 
One,  they  alfent  that  he  is  One  ;  if  it  is  aifirmed 
that  there  are  Three,  they  alfo  fay  that  there  are 
Three,  but  that  thefe  Three  are  to  be  called  One  2 
This  is  their  Acknowledgment  of  God.  Of  the 
other  ElTential  of  the  Church,  which  is  Repentance^ 
they  think  Nothing  at  all,  confequently  neither  any 
Thing  of  Sin,  and  at  length  do  not  know  that  there 
is  fuch  a  Thing  as  Sin  ;  and  then  they  hear  and 
imbibe  with  Pleafure,  that  the  Lav/  doth  not  con- 
demn, becaufe  a  Chriftian  is  not  under  its  Yoke  ; 
if  you  only  fay,  God  have  Mercy  upon  me  for  thy 
Son's  Sake,  you  will  be  faved  ;  this  is  Repentance 
of  Life  with  them.  But  remove  Repentance,  or> 
what  amounts  to  the  fame,  feparate  Life  from  Re- 
ligion, and  what  remains  but  the  Words,  Have 
Mercy  upon  me  ?  Hence  it  is,  that  they  could  not 
conceive  otherwife,  but  that  Salvation  is  effeifted  in 
^  MpHient  by  means  of  thofe  Words,  if  not  before^^ 


The  Divine  Providence.        54^ 

yet  at  the  Hour  of  Death  :  In  fuch  Cafe,  what  is 
the  Word  to  them,  but  like  an  obfcure  and  enig- 
matical Voice,  uttered  from  a  Tripod  in  a  Cave  ?  or 
like  an  unintelligible  Refponfe  from  the  Oracle  of 
an  Idol  ?  in  a  Word,  if  you  remove  Repentance, 
that  is,  feparate  Life  from  Religion,  what  elfe  is 
Man,  in  this  Cafe,  but  Evil  finning  from  infernal 
Fire,  or  a  fiery  flying  Serpent  in  the  Church  ?  for 
without  Repentance  Man  is  in  Evil,  and  Evil  is 
Hell,  Secondly  :  That  by  Faith  in  momenlaneom 
SahaticHy  from  pure  Mercy  alone^  Security  of  Life  is- 
inducedr  Security  of  Life  arifes  either  from  the 
Belief  of  the  Impious  that  there  is  no  Life  after 
Death,  or  from  the  Belief  of  thofe  who  feparate 
Life  from  Salvation  ;  a  Perfon  of  the  latter  Defcrip- 
tion,  although  he  were  to  believe  in  eternal  Life^ 
ftill  thinks,  whether  I  live  well,  or  live  ill,  1  can  be 
faved,  becaufe  Salvation  is  pure  Mercy,  and  the 
Mercy  of  God  is  univerfal,  inafmuch  as  he  willeth 
not  the  Death  of  any  one  ;  and  if  haply  a  Thought 
occurs  that  Mercy  is  to  be  implored  by  a  Form  of 
Words  agreeable  to  the  commonly  received  Faith, 
he  may  think  that  this,  if  not  before,  can  be  done 
^t  the  Hour  of  Death  ;  every  Man,  who  is  in  fuch 
a  State  of  Security,  makes  Ught  of  Adulteries,. 
Frauds,  Injuflice,  Violence,  Blafphemies,  and  Re- 
venge ;  and  gives  a  loofe  to  his  Flefh  and  his  Spirit 
in  the  committing  of  all  thefe  Evils ;  neither  doth 
he  know  what  fpiritual  Evil  is,  and  its  Concupifcen- 
ces  ;  if  he  hears  any  Thing  thereof  out  of  the  Word, 
it  is  comparatively  like  Somewhat  falling  upon  Eb- 
ony and  rebounding,  or  like  Somewhat  which  falls 
into  a  Ditcha  and  is  Iwallowxd  up.    Thirdly  :  That 

h 


54^    Angelic  Wisdom  concerning 

by  fuch  a  Faith  Da?jwation  is  imputed  to  the  Lordi^ 
Who  but  muft  conclucje  that  it  is.  not  the  Fault  oi 
Man,  but  of  the  Lord,  if  he  is  not  faved,  when  every 
one  can  be  faved  frorji  pure  Mercy  ?  If  it  be  affirmed 
that  Faith  is  the  Means  of  Salvation,  he  \yill  urge^ 
What  Man  is  there  to  whom  fuch  Faith  may  not 
be  given,  inafmuch  as  it  only  confifts  in  Thought, 
which  can  be  infufed  in  every  State  of  the  Spirit 
abflraded  from  worldly  Things,  even  with  Confir 
dence  ?  And  he  may  further  urge,  I  cannot  take  it 
of  myfelf ;  if  therefore  it  is  not  given,  and  Man  i^ 
damned,  what  elfe  can,  the  Damned  tl)ink,  than  that 
it  is  the  Lord's  Fault,  who  could  fave  him,  and 
would  not  ?  Apd  would  not  this  be  to  call  the  Lord 
unmerciful  ?  Moreover  in  the  Warmth  of  his  Faith 
he  may  afk.  Why  can  the  Lord  fee  fo  many  Damn- 
ed in  Hell,  when  neverthelefs  he  is  able  to  fave  all 
in  a  Moment  from  a  Principle  of  pure  Mercy  ?  Not 
to  mention  other  Suggeftions  of  ^  Hke  Nature,  which 
can  be  called  Nothing  elfe  but  impious  Impeach- 
ments of  the  Divinity.  Hence  then  it  may  appear^ 
that  Faith  in  momentaneous  Salvation  from  purq 
Mercy,  is  the  fiery  flying  Serpent  in  the  Church, 


EXCUSE  my  adding  this  Rehtion  to  fill  up  the. 
fuperfluous  Paper  :  Certain  Spirits  by  PermifTiou 
afcended  from  Hell,  and  faid  to  me.  Thou  haft 
written  much  from  the  Lord,  write  Something  alfo 
from  us  :  I  anfv/ered,  What  Ihall  I  write  ?  They 
faid.  Write,  that  every  Spirit,  whether  he  be  good 
or  evil,  is  in  hi^  own  Delight,  the  good  in  the  De^ 


The  Divine  Providence.        54J 

light  of  his  Good,  and  the  evil  in  the  Delight  of  hh 
Kvil.  I  afked  them.  What  may  your  Delight  be  ? 
They  faid,  that  it  was  the  Delight  of  commuting 
Adultery,  ftealing,  defrauding,  and  lying  :  Again  1 
aiked.  What  is  the  Nature  of  thofe  Delights  ?  They 
replied,  they  were  perceived  by  others  as  Stenches 
from  Excrement,  putrid  Smells  from  dead  Bodies^ 
and  the  Effluvia  of  flagnated  Urine  :  I  faid.  Are 
thofe  Things  delightful  to  you  ?  They  replied,  Moft 
delightful  :  I  faid.  Then  you  are. like  the  unclenil 
Beafts  which  live  in  fuch  Filth  :  They  anfwered.  If 
we  arcj,  we  are  j  but  fuch  Things  are  the  Delights 
of  our  Noflrils.  I  aiked,  What  more  fhall  I  write 
from  you  ?  They  faid^  Write  this,  that  it  is  permit- 
ted every  one  to  be  in  his  own  Delight,  even  the 
mofl  unclean,  as  it  is  called,  provided  he  does  not. 
infell  good  Spirits  and  Angels  5  but  forafmuch  as 
We  could  not  do  otherwife  than  infeil  them,  we 
were  driven  out,  and  cafl  into  Hell,  where  we  expe- 
rience direful  Sufferings  :  1  afked.  Why  did  you 
mfeft  the  Good  ?  They  replied,  that  they  could  not 
do  otherwife  5  it  is  as  if  a  certain  Fury  invaded  us, 
when  we  fee  any  Angel,  and  feei  the  Divine  Sphere 
about  him  :  I  faid.  Then  yoU  are  even  like  wild 
Beads  :  On  hearing  this.  Rage  came  upon  them, 
which  appeared  like  the  Fire  of  Hatred  ;  and  to 
prevent  their  doing  any  Mifchief,  they  were  remand- 
ed to  Hell.  Concerning  Delights  perceived  as 
Odours  and  Stenches  in  the  fpiritual  World,  fee. 
above,  n.  303,  304,  305,  324. 

FINIS- 


'ii-i 


